By Chance
by colormequeer
Summary: AU: Karma and Amy's crossing of paths seems to be inevitable. Casual encounters at high school parties turn into ridiculously questionable predicaments but ultimately lead to both girls exploring their feelings for one another. They are star-crossed despite the universe constantly pushing them together. M after a few chapters!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: I do not own anything.

A/N: T for now.

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Amy found herself yet again at one of the popular kids' drunken house parties. She didn't know why she bothered to attend any of them. But then she remembered that Shane took her under his wing when she arrived at Hester High about a month ago. He quickly figured out that Amy liked girls and decided to take it upon himself to help her find a girlfriend. His grand plan to make this happen, much to Amy's dismay, was to drag her along to all the parties. Although Amy would've picked Netflix in bed any day, she knew that Shane made it a point to include her in his circle of friends and their excessive partying habits, school nights included. Also, she told herself that she would try harder to socialize at this new school because she wasn't doing herself any favors by staying sheltered in her room all the time. It was her senior year of high school for god's sake and she still hasn't been with a girl. She tried the "good things come to those who wait" route but soon realized that instead of expecting someone to magically appear, she was going to at least make an effort. Despite this new approach on life, it was still difficult for Amy to interact with people, let alone girls she found attractive. So to get through these parties, Amy turned to a decent amount of alcohol consumption to ease her social anxiety. Luckily for her, once the alcohol hit her, she was a completely different person. Awkward Amy no more, as Shane liked to point out. She was more social and did not shy away from talking to some cute girls. It came as a shock to everyone that Amy did all the seducing. She worked her magic and by the end of the night she was usually spotted going home with someone around her arm.

So there she was, the night was young and the party was in full swing. The entire house was extravagant to say the least. The host was one of Shane's friends, Jamie, and from what she gathered, Jamie's parents were definitely loaded. She was in the living room with people around the coffee table taking shots of tequila.

And then it happened. As she was downing her 5th shot of tequila, she saw this gorgeous brunette walk into the house with Liam. She knew Liam because he was Shane's best friend but she didn't recognize the girl he was with. And Liam usually brought Hester high girls and alternated, never settling for one. Amy wasn't the only one to notice because other people were wondering about Liam's arm candy. Amy was watching as the brunette scoped the party when they made eye contact. Amy was beyond tipsy. Unwilling to back down on this exchange, she gave the girl her best sultry stare.

"That's Karma, Liam's new girl. Let's see how long he keeps her." Amy was so entranced that she didn't even notice Shane approaching her and whispering in her ear. Shane then proceeded to scream over the music.

"Hey Liam's girl, come over here. It's tradition for the new girl to take a body shot upon entrance and you most certainly are new here! Who wants to volunteer their body?"

"Why not" Heads turned as Amy offered to do the honors and was greeted with loud cheers.

As Karma was being escorted to the coffee table by an all-too-eager Liam, Amy was already in the process of lifting her shirt up. But Shane chimed in "Nah uh Amy take that top off completely! Show us some skin girl. Nothing to be ashamed of. We run track together, I know what's underneath and there's no need to be modest".

Amy rolled her eyes and removed her shirt, watching for a reaction from Karma who didn't seem too shy staring at her abs. Amy smirked to herself and set herself up to lie on the coffee table. Shane poured the shot in her belly button, which tingled for a bit but was replaced by the fire brought on by the anticipation of what was to come.

Amy continued to stare at the brunette towering over her. Karma gave her a shy smile before going in for the shot. Time seemed to slow down for Amy as she watched this gorgeous girl lick her skin. Karma proceeded to saunter up to lick the salt on Amy's neck very slowly, which was rewarded by an uncontrollable hitch from Amy. Not knowing what took a hold of her other than the alcohol in her system, Amy propped herself up with her elbows as Karma was reaching for the lime in her mouth. At the very last second, Amy drooped the lime and leaned in to close the gap which was greeted once again by loud cheers, Liam's being the loudest. Surprised by the turn of events, the brunette did not respond right away but seemed to be encouraged by the roaring crowd because she grabbed the back of Amy's neck to deepen the kiss. When they finally pulled apart, both stared at each other with lustful eyes but the moment was gone when they realize that they were not alone.

"Wow that was incredible! Way to make an impression new girl!" Shane interrupted. "I need a shot after watching these two going at it hot and heavy! Who wants more shots?"

Amy hopped off the table now that it had become extremely crowded by her drunken classmates looking to get even drunker from Shane's shots. She saw Liam lick his lips and say "Amy that was really hot, we should do this again" as he took Karma's hand. It looked like he was bringing her upstairs. Amy cringed at Liam's words but watched as they headed up. But not before noticing Karma turn around one last time to give Amy another shy smile.

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I'm not really a writer more of an avid fan fiction reader but I had this story stuck in my head and decided to give it a try. Reviews and pointers would be appreciated. It's my first fic be gentle! :)

**Up Next: Shane has a crush on a college guy and begs Amy to tag along at a college party. She runs into someone that she didn't expect to be there.**


	2. Chapter 2

Amy was on her way to another party on a Friday night and she was listening to her voicemail while driving. She played the one that Shane left a few hours ago.

"Hey Aims, this is me reminding you once again that I expect you to be my wing woman tonight at this college frat party because I want to hook up with the cutie I had coffee with last week. His fraternity was hosting and he told me to bring a friend! Also, you're gorgeous without makeup but just dab a bit on because we need to pass the "bouncer". One more thing, wear something white! See ya there. Think of all the hot college girls"

Amy rolls her eyes and ends the voicemail. She is kind of excited because this was going to be her first time going to a frat party. She spent last week trying to forget about her kiss with Karma because she didn't want to cross any lines. Liam was Shane's best friend and besides, she wasn't the type to cause break-ups. Were they even dating? Liam hasn't mentioned Karma at school so she doesn't really know if he's still seeing her.

Amy concluded that tonight was the perfect opportunity to let loose because none of her classmates would be at this party except for Shane. Who knows, maybe she would meet a cute college girl that she liked and ask her out. That much confidence would require a few drinks though.

She spotted the frat house a few feet away and parked her car. Before going in, she looked at herself in the mirror, unsure of the makeup. She had gone for the whole smokey-eyed look that brought out the green in her eyes, a red lipstick that she hoped didn't stain her teeth and beach waved hair that was pushed to one side. She also followed Shane's instructions and wore a white sheer blouse that she tucked into her black skinny jeans.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess" she told herself.

She walked out of the car almost stumbling. She wasn't used to wearing high heels but she managed to make it in front of the house's sidewalk. She heard someone call her name and turned to see Shane with a cute boy.

"Aims, this is Logan. Isn't he a cutie?"

"Hi Logan, nice to meet you and thanks for the invite" Amy answers with a small smile.

"Hey, it's really no problem. I'm just happy that you two made it. We're in for a wild night. Glad to see that you're wearing something white. Follow us to Shane's car we have a surprise."

Amy followed them, feeling a bit anxious not knowing what she was walking into. Shane pulls out a paintbrush.

"Let's get our body paint on!" Shane beams and starts unbuttoning a few of Amy's buttons.

Shane tells Amy "I know that you're shy so we won't make you show too much cleavage. Just enough skin that we can paint on."

Amy thanks her lucky stars that Logan is studying arts because the body paint on her arms and chest are pretty sweet. For her face, Amy opted to just painting a white stripe on each cheek.

In front of the house, Shane takes her hand and places something in it. She looks down and it's a fake ID. Shane winks at her and walks towards the bouncer to show his ID.

The door of the house is closed but she can already feel the faint music. Once the bouncer steps aside and opens the door, they are greeted by loud music and mostly darkness. The black lights reveal glowing college students in body paint and white clothing. There is enough light to walk around and she sees that the living room has been turned into a dance floor.

Amy decides that she likes that it's a glow in the dark party because it has a more obscure vibe.

She realizes that she has already lost Shane and Logan but checks her phone and reads the text from Shame: "Sorry I had to step away, Logan's bringing me to his room ;) I'll text you when we're done. Mingle! Find a hottie!"

Amy sighs and walks towards the alcohol. She takes a few shots to loosen up. She spends a while talking to a girl that seems very interested in her but Amy does not reciprocate the interest. She just seems boring. The girl gives up and Amy spots her flirting with another guy. She chuckles to herself and decides to head to the dance floor.

The dance floor is packed with glowing bodies dancing to old school hip hop. She starts to feel the music and realizes that someone is staring at her from across the dance floor. She moves towards the stranger but can't make out her face in the darkness. She looks familiar. The girl takes Amy's hands and places them on her waist and they start dancing. She spins around and starts grinding on Amy. Amy takes the chance and moves her arms up and down the girl's sides enjoying every curve. She is so turned on by all the dancing that it makes her feel dizzy in a good way. She also doesn't miss the ache that she knows all too well. The girl turns around once again but this time leans into Amy. Amy's heart is pounding and she feels the hot breath on her ear.

The girl says "wanna get out of here?"

Amy agrees immediately even more turned on by the stranger's sexy voice.

The girl takes her hand to guide her out of the dance floor. But as soon as they start walking, all the lights of the house suddenly turn on and the music stops playing.

A frat guy screams, "Everyone has to leave NOW! The cops just arrived someone must have made a noise complaint. We didn't get permission from the college to throw this party because we've been on probation. GET THE FUCK OUT NOW PLEASE"

Everyone starts running in all directions. Amy bolts towards the back door, letting go of the girl's hand. She is so nervous about getting caught for underage drinking that she fails to look at the girls face.

She was halfway out the door when she quickly glanced back towards the girl's general direction. The girl waved at her and Amy realized that she hadn't been dancing with a stranger.

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**Up Next: Homecoming! Liam's date makes an appearance. Amy and Karma finally have an actual conversation. Don't worry there's no drinking involved in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimers: I do not own anything.

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes, I wrote this quicker than usual. Also, thank you for all the follows, favourites and reviews!

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Amy felt like she was walking through the gates of hell as she entered Hester's gym. She wasn't looking forward to an entire night of awkward dancing with her date whom she met at a party. It was better than going alone she figured. On the bright side, she did enjoy watching other people dance awkwardly. It made her feel a little bit better about her own dancing skills.

"God, I could really use a drink" Amy whispered to herself as she scanned the gym. It looked like they were one of the first to arrive.

"What's that, babe?" her date asked.

"Oh nothing, I was just saying how I could use a drink. Do you mind getting me some punch, Kat? I think I need to sit down because my feet are already killing me. I guess I shouldn't have worn heels" Amy smiled sheepishly.

"Sure! One punch coming up" Kat chirped.

But before leaving, she gave Amy a quick peck on the lips. Amy had grown used to Kat's affectionate nature in the weeks that they've been seeing each other. She had learned that Kat was rather clingy even though they were just seeing each other casually. Amy made a mental note to clear things up with Kat soon. She sighed to herself because she hated confrontation. She had a feeling that Kat thought they were dating despite Amy making it clear that she wasn't looking for anything serious on their first date.

She looked around, admiring the décor of the gym. She had to give credit to the dance committee. The set-up was really beautiful and classy; Amy wondered how did they afford it. The dress code was black dresses for girls and tuxes for the guys. Amy was happy about that because half her closet consisted of black clothes so it wasn't that hard for her to find a dress.

"Got your punch" Kat whispered in her ear, startling Amy from her thoughts. She gave Kat a quick smile thanking her for the drink.

"Non-alcoholic?" Amy asked.

"Yup. There were two punch bowls, one with alcohol and the other one without. And I know you've been on your whole alcohol detox." Kat beamed proudly.

Amy smiled at her date once again and took a sip of her punch, instantly missing the taste of alcohol.

She wasn't really fond of this detox but she felt like she was drinking way to often. And besides, she didn't want to rely on alcohol for confidence. She wanted to overcome her shyness without the need to get drunk or tipsy. So here she was, drinking non-alcoholic punch while the rest of the gym was probably already tipsy.

Once the dance floor started filling up, Amy and Kat decided to join in. They were enjoying themselves when Amy saw Shane and Liam next to the punch bowl. Amy and Kat headed over to greet them

"I have to say, you guys are looking very charming in those tuxes." Amy said as the guys turned around.

"Hey you! You look lovely. Gimme a hug girl." Shane said as he reached for Amy.

"Hey Amy, who's your date?" Liam asked, smiling.

"Oh yeah sorry. Liam, Shane, this is Kat my date."

Everyone greeted one another and they all partook in small talk to pass the time. Next to the punch bowl, of course.

"Hey sorry I'm late" Amy heard someone say, as a familiar face walked over to kiss Liam on the cheek.

"Karma! You made it!" Liam beamed.

Amy stood there awkwardly. A wave of drunken memories quickly filled her mind.

"Karma, you remember Amy right? You girls got pretty intimate at Jamie's party last month if I remember correctly" Shane said.

"How can I forget. I guess we've never been formally introduced til now. Hi, I'm Karma" She said, while giving Amy a gorgeous smile.

Amy reached out to shake her hand and all she could think to say was "Hi"

"You seem shyer than the last time I met you. Its cute" Karma pointed out, which made Amy instantly blush.

"Yeah Amy is a shy one. Unless you get a drink in her." Shane winked.

"Hey I'm Kat, her date" Sensing that these two had something going on.

Amy thought she caught a quick look of surprise from Karma. But it was quickly replaced by another one of her gorgeous smiles.

"Hey Kat, I'm Karma it's nice to meet you."

"Okay it's time to boogie! Lets go to the dance floor!" Shane interrupted.

As they were dancing, Amy tried her hardest not to stare at Karma knowing that Kat was watching her.

She put Karma out of her mind and was starting to enjoy herself dancing with everyone. Shane and Liam looked like they were having a lot of fun. They kept going back to the alcoholic punchbowl a little too often.

They were still dancing when Kat leaned in to speak to Amy over the music.

"Hey listen, I'd love to stay but I actually gotta go. I have this thing super early tomorrow morning and I don't wanna look like a zombie." Kat smiled apologetically.

"No worries, I'll hitch a ride with Shane's older brother. I had fun tonight. See you soon?"

"I'd like that" Kat replied as she leaned in to kiss Amy in the middle of the dance floor.

Amy pulled back after a while and waved at Kat while she was walking out. She turned to her friends and caught Karma staring but she quickly looked away and continued dancing with Liam.

Towards the end of the night, the homecoming king and queen were announced and it happened to be Liam and Shane. Amy wasn't really surprised because they were the most popular kids in school. This meant that they had to dance to a song.

Before going to dance with Shane, Liam walked off stage and went over to the table that Karma and Amy were sitting at.

"It's the last dance of the night. Why don't you two dance together? I don't want you guys to be the only ones sitting down. I would have danced with you but homecoming duty calls." Liam says apologetically. Upon hearing the song start playing, he headed over to dance with Shane while giving the thumbs up to Karma and Amy.

"Who are we to refuse the homecoming king's request." Karma chuckled

"Game?" she asked while arching a brow. Their usual dynamic completely shifting. Karma recalled the other girl's usual boldness during their previous encounters. But Karma could see that Amy was nervous and took the lead by lightly tugging her hand.

"Game" Amy agreed shakily as she let Karma guide her to the dance floor.

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Reviews are welcomed :)

**Up Next: Part two! **


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimers: I do not own anything.

A/N: Switched to M!

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A million thoughts were going through Amy's head as they walked to the middle of the dance floor where all the couples had already begun slow dancing.

Karma slowly turned around and made eye contact with Amy. She snaked her arms around Amy's neck, which almost made Amy shiver from contact. Amy nervously placed her hands on Karma's hips and they started swaying.

Amy loved the song playing. She also felt like "Saving all my love for you" by Whitney was a typical song for a bride and groom's first dance at their wedding. She tried to concentrate on enjoying the song instead of how Karma's intense stare was making her feel.

"Your hands weren't this idle the last time they were on my hips" Karma teased in an attempt to break the ice between them.

Amy immediately looked down and blushed earning a little chuckle from Karma.

"Sorry about that, I was a little bit intoxicated" Amy apologized awkwardly.

"Don't apologize. I had fun" Amy finally looked up from her shoes and saw that Karma was smiling at her timidly.

"So what were you doing at that party?" Karma proceeded to inquire.

"Shane had a crush on one of the frat guys, so he dragged me along with him. How about you?"

"I'm a student there. My friends wanted to check it out." Karma said simply.

"You're in college?" Amy asked incredulously.

"Yup, a sophomore for that matter. Is it that surprising?" Karma chuckled.

"No, I mean, I'm sure there are so many guys interested in you at school so why are you dating Liam?"

Karma smiles. "I'm not dating Liam, we just see each other when we feel like it."

Karma leans in to whisper into Amy's ear.

"Don't worry Amy, I'm only interested in one person right now, and it's not Liam"

Amy closes her eyes trying to control everything she was feeling at that very moment. Was Karma talking about her? Could it be?

Karma looks at Amy, patiently waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, I gotta go to the bathroom" Amy says as she quickly breaks away from Karma not knowing what to say. She needed to get her feelings in check. She couldn't be having these feelings for Karma even though they may be mutual. Karma was still seeing Liam, even if only casually, she was still off limits. Amy could tell that Liam liked her a lot too.

She was staring at herself in the mirror when she heard someone enter the bathroom door and proceeded to lock it. As soon as Amy turned around, perfect lips assaulted her and she knew immediately to whom they belonged too. She willed herself to stop, but Amy wasn't able to think rationally at the moment. She was just so absorbed by what was happening.

Karma lifted Amy and placed her on the sink, setting herself in between Amy's legs. She proceeded to grab Amy's waist and pressed herself flush onto her center which was rewarded by a throaty moan from Amy.

The kiss was passionate and hungry. Since Amy started the alcohol detox, her senses were heightened and she was hyperaware of every single touch. This kiss was sending Amy overboard. Amy could feel her center aching and was caught off guard when Karma started rubbing over her panties to appease it. Karma smiled into the kiss.

"You're wet" she said in her most seductive voice, which had Amy feeling dizzy. Her center was so sensitive at the moment that she kept bucking her hips forward in response to Karma's rubbing. Amy couldn't take it anymore she was growing restless.

"Take it off" she demanded shakily.

"Are you sure?" Karma asked, as she was already sliding them down.

"God yes" Amy moaned lowly.

Suddenly they heard a loud knock and someone trying to open the door.

"Karma? Amy? Are you guys in there, we've been waiting for you guys." Liam said from outside of the bathroom.

"Just a sec" Karma called as both girls tried to fix their appearances before going out.

"Okay. Also, our ride is here we gotta go" Liam added.

Before leaving the bathroom, Karma turned around and stared at Amy's disheveled appearance. She walked up to her and reached for Amy's lips to fix the smudged lipstick. Karma gave her a quick peck.

"Until next time"

And she was out the door.

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Up Next: Amy's family is hosting a dinner party.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimers: I don't own anything.

A/N: Once again, thanks for all the reviews.

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Amy was in the middle of applying mascara in the bathroom when she heard her mom knock on the door.

"Honey, are you almost ready? People are starting to show up. Why don't you come on down and greet everyone."

"I'll be down in a second mom". Amy sighed. She really wasn't a fan of her parents' annual dinner party. She'd rather be locked up in her room watching Netflix. She knew it was more of a business meeting for all the attendees but in a more casual setting. Casual setting for these business folks meant dressed in expensive clothes outside of the office.

Amy knew that her parents were shareholders for an important company but didn't really ask questions about it. She figured that she would find out once she was a little bit older. For now, she didn't mind the bliss that came along with being a teenager.

Once finished with her makeup, she looked at herself in the mirror one last time to make sure she looked pristine for her mom's sake. Giving herself a once over, she couldn't help but feel her usual social anxiety creeping in right before facing the growing crowd downstairs.

Amy took a deep breath and put her game face on. Before greeting everyone, she sped-walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the caterers. The kitchen was really busy with caterers coming in and out with trays. Amy hoped that she could kill some time in there. The kitchen was her favorite area of the house but it was currently too hectic for her taste.

Before leaving the kitchen, her path was blocked by one of the caterers. Amy was on the other side of the open fridge and couldn't help but notice this caterer's cute butt. She appeared to be looking for something in the fridge.

Once the caterer closed the fridge, Amy saw who it was and immediately froze in place. Blood rushed to face and she could feel the redness that Karma would notice in a few seconds.

"Karma?" Amy said with wide eyes. She could already feel her palms getting sweaty. This girl just made her so nervous.

"Amy!" Karma looked surprised but happy to see her. "What are you doing here?"

Before Amy could answer, someone interrupted her.

"Karma it's no time to be fooling around! Get on the floor and bring your tray!" Karma scurried out the kitchen, sending Amy an apologetic look.

Amy joined her mom in the living room and was forced to make conversation with her guests. They asked about her studies, her future aspirations and her plans for college. Conversation was so dull and she felt like the guests weren't even interested in her answers. She got the vibe that they were just trying to make small talk. Amy wasn't interested in talking about her dreams with people who weren't genuinely interested in knowing about them. Consequently, she gave them a more condensed and vague version of her future plans.

All the while, she was searching for Karma among the crowd. She would get glimpses of her here and there. She would even catch her standing in one place, tray in hand, and staring at her. They exchanged smiles a few times but Amy was never able to speak to her because she didn't want to get Karma in trouble.

When the dinner party died down, Amy's mom allowed her to excuse herself. Before gladly locking herself in her bedroom, she headed towards the kitchen to look for Karma. Amy wasn't really sure what she would say if she saw Karma but she knew that she wanted to see her. She didn't get a chance to talk to her after the whole bathroom scene at homecoming. Karma had rushed off with Liam and Amy had to catch her ride home with Shane and his brother. No matter how much Amy tried to forget about that encounter with Karma, it was still so vivid in her memory. She couldn't help herself. Karma was constantly on her mind. She had never liked a girl as much as she liked Karma.

As she finally entered the kitchen, Amy knew that she absolutely needed to speak with Karma. She didn't want to miss her chance to speak with her and have to wait until they randomly saw each other again.

"Excuse me, have you seen Karma?" she asked one of the caterers refilling his tray.

"You missed her, she just left," he answered while pointing at the backdoor.

Amy rushed out the front door, assuming Karma was parked around her house. She spotted her and called out her name.

"Hey Karma, wait up" Amy said, as she tried to catch up to Karma.

Karma turned around and they were face to face.

"Hey Amy" Karma smiled and waited for Amy to speak.

"Wanna hang out?" Amy asked blushingly. She looked at the ground, afraid of Karma's answer.

"Sure, where to?" Karma asked. Her cute grin never leaving her face.

Amy tugged Karma's hand lightly and they walked back to her house.

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Sorry this was more of a filler chapter! Hopefully the next one is better!

**Up Next: The hang out in Amy's room and...talk!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimers: I don't own Faking It.

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes!

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"So this is where the magic happens" Karma winked and continued to look around Amy's room. She walked over to a corner and noticed the substantial dvd collection. She turned around with a raised eyebrow.

"Tv junkie?" She asked.

"Pretty much" Amy replied sheepishly.

"I'm the same. I stay locked up in my room for an unhealthy period at a time. I'm a binge watcher, it's a problem." Karma chuckled.

Karma continued exploring the room while Amy watched her nervously. Amy didn't know how to start the conversation. She knew that she had to speak up eventually, and she was trying to mentally prepare herself. She didn't want to give away just how nervous she actually was.

Amy was so preoccupied with what to say that she didn't notice Karma taking a seat on her bed.

"So…" Karma drawled.

"So you cater?" Amy uttered out nervously. So much for keeping her cool.

"Yup, it's pretty decent. Hours are good and the money is not too bad either. At least it pays a portion of my tuition." Karma shrugged. "Why are you still standing? Come sit on your bed with me silly." She patted the space next to her with a welcoming smile.

Amy took a seat and already felt her pulse quicken by the proximity.

"So anyways, yeah my job can be fun. The things I've witnessed at these events are pure gold."

Karma was going on about some work related story but Amy was not longer paying attention. "God this girl is gorgeous" she thought to herself. Amy was probably the closest she'd ever been to Karma without kissing her and she was captivated. She was so mesmerized by every single detail on her face. Everything looked perfect. She was trying really hard to suppress the urge to kiss Karma because she knew that it would be too forward. But then again, on every occasion, Karma had always been really forward when it came to what she wanted.

"You kissed me at homecoming" Amy blurted out even before Karma was finished her story about work. Amy looked as surprised as Karma. She didn't expect to start the conversation like this but sometimes she couldn't control what came out of her mouth. Especially around Karma.

"I think I remember you kissing me back" Karma replied without skipping a beat. She grew silent and gave the blonde a challenging stare.

"We need to talk about everything that has happened" Amy said.

"We were just having a little fun. Weren't we?" Karma grinned.

Before Amy could do anything, she watched as Karma sauntered closer to lean in and kiss her lightly. Amy couldn't help but respond by cupping the brunette's cheek and deepening the kiss. She wasn't thinking clearly, Karma's lips were distracting her from the conversation at hand. It was impossible for her to control the strong response that Karma's perfect lips incited. She couldn't help but finally give in.

The kisses between them were getting hungrier. Karma straddled Amy and pulled away from their kiss to place her soft lips on Amy's neck. This earned Karma a throaty moan from the blonde who placed both hands on Karma's waist. Amy felt Karma lean into her until she was lying down. Her mind was racing because she could guess where this was headed. Before it got any further, Amy gently pushed Karma away and quickly got off the bed.

"It's not just fun for me. Not that I don't enjoy it…but Karma, listen, I like you and I don't want this thing between us to be only casual encounters. I've never felt this way about a girl and I think I owe it to myself to be honest about my feelings. I know we've only met a handful of times but we can't deny the connection we have. I'm tired of meaningless hookups with girls at parties. They haven't even been fun anymore because all I can do is think about you. If I'm being perfectly honest, nothing holds a candle to how you make me feel. I feel really guilty because Liam is my friend and Shane's best friend so I don't want to step on anyone's toes but I just had to tell you."

Amy breathed out at the end of her speech. Her heart was beating so fast that she could feel her pulse resonate all over her body. The silence was deafening. It looked like Karma was trying to figure out what to say. Amy was mentally kicking herself thinking that maybe she divulged too much and she ruined any chance she had with Karma. Maybe she shouldn't have laid her feelings on the line. Amy was starting to doubt herself but before she could go any further Karma finally replied.

"Amy…I'm actually dating someone now. We're in an open relationship but yeah….we're dating. I'm really flattered but I didn't mean to string you along. I thought we had a silent agreement that we were just fooling around."

Amy couldn't control the tears. How could she be so stupid?

Seeing Amy crying, Karma walked closer to comfort her but Amy backed away.

"Don't." Amy croaked.

"You have to know, I do feel a connection too but it's just not the right time. Maybe if you had told me earlier…. things could have been different."

Karma reached for a pen and took Amy's hand.

"Here, I'm gonna give you my number if you ever feel like talking. About anything at all. We can still be friends right?" Karma searched Amy's eyes hopefully but the blonde was avoiding any eye contact.

"I think you should leave." Amy stated with finality.

"Amy, I truly am sorry" Karma said. She kissed her on the cheek and left.

As soon as Amy heard the door close, she threw herself on the bed and just cried. She never wanted to see Karma again. It would hurt too much.

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A/N: SORRY!_** Karmy is end game though**_!

**Up Next: Karma and Amy run into each other after a long time (time lapse). Can they be friends? Is a clean slate possible?**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimers: I don't own Faking It.

**A/N: Sorry for any mistakes and I'll try to make the next chapter a little bit longer! Also thanks for the follows, faves and reviews!**

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"Late on your first shift blondie. I hope this is not a regular occurrence. Do me a favor and clear out the empty mugs on some of the tables". A middle-aged woman pointed towards the tables needing cleaning. The woman was the manager, April, who hired Amy a few days ago.

"Oh and welcome to the team" She continued and gave Amy a genuine smile.

Amy returned the smile and quickly walked to the back of the café to leave her belongings behind. She came out of the back and headed towards the tables.

She proceeded to pick up the empty mugs that were set aside.

Amy noticed that the place was somewhat packed. She figured that it was Friday evening and not every college student wanted to start the weekend off at a typical college party. Besides, April mentioned that there was this event going on tonight at the café but she didn't really go into details. Amy figured that she would just have to find out once the event began.

Her shift was going well despite the place being busy. She was happy when she finally went on break after working for a while.

In the backroom, she met the other employee who was working with her tonight. His name was Jake, and Amy found him very charming. Amy immediately noticed that the guy was incredibly good-looking. He had ocean blue eyes, a defined jaw and thick brown hair that were almost too perfectly in place. He was also tanned and she later found out that he was Moroccan and Irish. She wondered why he wasn't signed with a model agency yet. Amy soon found out that Jake was also very smart. He has been studying mathematical finance and he was working as much as he could to keep up with paying tuition. She admired his work ethic and hoped that some of it might rub off on her.

This was actually her first job and she thought she was doing pretty well for a first timer. She felt a sense of maturity and independence because she would soon be able to pay for her own things instead of heavily relying on her parents' income.

Once their break was over, Amy headed back to work. She was glad to have made a friend.

She noticed the lights turn on around the small stage and saw Jake greet everyone signaling the beginning of this mystery event. She heard people cheering excitedly for it to start; especially the eager girls practically drooling over Jake. Amy chuckled to herself and watched Jake on stage. He squinted a little from the bright light directed at him.

"Hey folks, hope everyone's having a good evening. Let me tell you, you guys are in for a treat! Tonight's performers are really talented and we hope you enjoy what they have for us. So without further ado, I'll let them get to it. Have a good night guys." Jake waved and got off the stage to let the first performer prepare. He sat on the chair in front of the mic, placed his guitar on his lap and started playing.

Amy was kind of let down; she thought the event was going to be something more exciting. This was basically an open mic night. But Amy didn't want to judge too quickly. For all she knew, one of these performers could blow her away with their talent. She figured that she would just enjoy the rest of her shift listening to live music. That wasn't so bad for a first shift.

The night was going by smoothly. April had left early because she trusted Jake to close up the café.

There were still a lot of people for the show but the coffee and pastry orders were dying down.

* * *

There was 30 minutes left until closing time and she decided to take her second break before having to help Jake with closing. Amy headed to the bathroom in the back to wash her hands before finishing the piece of her sandwich that she saved from earlier. Although she closed the door of the bathroom, she could hear the melody of someone playing an acoustic version of "Teenage Dirtbag" and she thought that was pretty neat. She looked at her watch indicating that it was probably the last performer before closing. Amy started eating her sandwich and kept an ear out to listen for when people started leaving the café.

She heard the performer finish the song and introduce the last song of the night. The voice was hazy from where Amy was sitting in the backroom but she could make out the words that were being said.

"So this will be the last song of my set. This song was written about someone I met a while back but things just didn't work out. This has become one of my favorite songs to play." The girl said.

Amy smiled thinking that a song dedicated to someone was romantic. She wondered if the two were still friends. She heard the girl start playing her guitar and tried to listen to the lyrics.

_I felt a spark of desire_

_And now the flames are growing higher_

_I really want this to work _

_I'm so tired of being burned_

She was enjoying the song when she was interrupted. "Hey can someone help me over here? I wanna get something 'to go" Amy heard a man who was probably behind the counter. She sighed and put down her sandwich. She opened the door and quickly walked over to serve the customer. While she was preparing the most complicated latte order, she continued to enjoy the song.

_Something changed the moment we kissed_

_I never knew it could feel like this_

_We'll keep it hush hush undercover_

_But it's a rush rush being your lover_

She finished the man's order, handed him his latte and bagel, and left the counter to see who was singing this song she was enjoying so much.

_We keep it hush hush and discover_

_Why it's a rush running with each other_

Amy completely froze when she finally set eyes on the amazing singer. Lo and behold, _Karma_ was looking as majestic as ever singing with the spotlight shinning on her. It had been almost half a year... It took half a year to get over her. But every single feeling and memory about Karma came rushing back at that very moment. She couldn't move, she couldn't think, she couldn't process how she was feeling. She was afraid that if she did move, she would do something stupid so she just stood there staring.

"Pretty talented don't ya think?" Jake snuck up on her from behind.

"Yea" Amy replied shakily.

"Lucky me right?" Jake grinned.

"What do you mean?" Amy frowned.

"Oh right, this is your first shift! She's my girl" He grinned. "By the way, I saw your sandwich on the table. Why don't you go finish it. Don't worry, I'll call you once everyone clears out. I can introduce you to Karma! I'm sure you'll love her."

_Yeah I have a crush _

_And I just want you to see_

_That you were never a secret to me _

She heard people start to clap. Amy slowly exhaled and quickly ran to the backroom. She threw her sandwich away and sat down. Her mind was racing. How was she going to get out of this. Was she ready to face Karma again? She took deep breaths and gave herself a pep talk.

She was completely over Karma. Right? She was just feeling this way because they haven't seen each other in a while and they didn't get a chance to talk after Amy's confession. Confusing feelings were resurfacing and Amy was panicking.

But suddenly, she remembered the heartbreak that she felt after Karma had left. Her walls were stronger now. None of that really mattered anyway because she swore that she would never let herself be with Karma ever again. She learned from her mistake and she came out of it stronger. Besides, she was with Jake. They could be friends right? She would also have to get used to seeing Karma more often, given the fact that Jake worked with her.

"Hey Amy! Coast is clear. Everyone is gone. Come on out, I want you to meet someone" she heard Jake call out.

As she walked through the door, she saw Jake tidying up while chatting with Karma.

"Hey" Amy said shakily.

Both of them turned around. Karma set her eyes on Amy. Her eyes went wide.

"Amy?" Karma breathed out with utter shock.

* * *

**Up Next: Part 2 and then some**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimers: I do not own Faking it.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Karma asked with confusion. She was sitting at one of the tables that Jake was wiping.

Before Amy could answer, Jake had cut in. "Wait, you guys know each other?" He looked at both girls curiously.

"You can say that. We haven't seen each other in a while though" Amy replied without looking at Jake. She was so focused on staring at Karma; trying to decipher what she was thinking. Although Amy had panicked not too long ago, she was able to compose herself in front of Karma. She had changed for the better since their last encounter. She had worked hard on overcoming her social anxiety and came out of it a more confident person. Karma still made her nervous though. But now, Amy was able to maintain a more self-assured exterior.

"Oh that's great!" Jake beamed, oblivious to the tension between the girls. "So I guess there's no need for introductions." Jake continued.

"I guess not." Karma said meekly. She gave both of them a forced smile in an attempt to ease the tension and also to hide her initial shock from seeing Amy.

"Well I'm gonna start tidying up, I can't miss tonight's episode of Game of Thrones" Amy informed them in an attempt to steer the conversation away from Jake asking them how they actually knew each other. She decided to use discretion when it came to the nature of her relationship with Karma. She concluded that nothing good would come of it being brought up in front of Jake. Besides, it was not really a relationship to begin with. It was more like casual encounters. They were just two people fooling around, as Karma so eloquently put it. The last thing Amy wanted was for any awkwardness with her co-worker. She was quite taken with Jake, in a completely platonic way of course. And she didn't want him to feel weird or uncomfortable around her if he knew about the circumstances. She knew that revealing her past relationship with Karma could possibly put a damper on their workplace.

"Oh yeah that show is so great! Hey since it's your first shift why don't you clock out early. Don't worry, I can close up on my own and Karma here can help me with the cleaning. She doesn't mind. Right babe?" Jake smiled and placed his arm affectionately around Karma's shoulder while waiting for an answer from Amy. Karma nodded at him.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't mind watching it online after the episode airs. It's really no big deal" Amy replied guiltily.

"Amy, it's fine. Go enjoy your show" Jake kindly told her.

"Alright, I guess I'm off" Amy smiled timidly and gathered her stuff from the back.

The couple went back to cleaning up and talking to one another happily. Amy didn't want to interrupt them before leaving but she didn't want to come off as ungrateful either. So she cleared her throat to get their attention once more.

"Have a good night guys" She said while moving towards the door.

"Yeah you too. See ya tomorrow Amy!" Jake returned to his conversation with Karma while both of them cleaned separate tables. Amy noticed Karma sneaking subtle glances her way but she didn't really want to read too much into it. All Amy wanted to do was to get home and put this entire situation aside for the time being. She needed a distraction from the unavoidable conversation that she would eventually have with Karma.

Amy realized that she was still standing there lost in her thoughts. She finally snapped out of it and walked out the door. She was greeted by the coldness of fall. She huffed out a breath that she had been holding since Karma came back into her life.

She was finally alone. It was okay to let her guard down.

* * *

The next day, Amy decided to get to work half an hour earlier. She wanted to demonstrate punctuality but also, to sit down by herself and have a nice cup of coffee before her shift.

Once she arrived at the café, she was glad to see that there was a parking spot right in front of it. She parked, gathered her purse and headed inside the café. As soon as she opened the door, she heard some say "Nice ride." The voice was coming from one of the tables next to the entrance with a clear view of her car outside. Amy turned and saw Karma grinning at her.

"Thanks" Amy simply replied. She looked around and it appeared that the café was moderately busy. Jake was busy at the cash taking people's order.

Amy didn't really want to have a conversation with Karma right before her shift but it seemed like the brunette was adamant about starting one with her.

"I didn't know this place paid that well. Has Jake been holding out on me?" Karma questioned playfully.

"Graduation present from my folks" Amy shrugged with a tight-lipped smile.

"So what time do you start your shift?" Karma inquired.

"In half an hour" Amy kept shifting her gaze to the backroom wanting to escape from Karma. She just wanted to sit down and have a coffee on her own. But Karma was really persistent.

"That's great! Let's catch up. Don't worry I wont bite" Karma grinned at her teasingly.

Amy finally surrendered and took a seat in front of Karma. She didn't really have anything to say to her so she waited for the brunette to say something.

"So you go to school here too now?" Karma asked before sipping on her coffee but maintaining eye contact with the blonde.

Amy merely noded in response.

"huh" Karma pondered.

"What?" Amy raised a brow questioningly.

"I never pegged you for a state university kinda gal. I thought you would have chosen something smaller….like a liberal arts college or something" Karma chuckled a little.

Amy felt somewhat offended by that statement but she knew that Karma was just teasing her.

"Well, as it so happens, our school offers a pretty decent psych program and that's what I'm interested in pursuing so….yea" Amy pointed out.

"Gee Amy, if you wanted to be closer to me, you could've just said so" Karma winked.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked the brunette, slightly frowning with confusion.

"Oh, just that we're gonna be in the same program." Karma grinned. "Also, we'll probably have some classes together because I just switched to psych. I used to be in the business program but it wasn't for me." The brunette shrugged lightly.

Amy mentally sighed to herself. Was the universe working against her? She just wanted to get through college all in one piece. Although Amy kept reminding herself that she was over Karma, she couldn't help but worry that her feelings for the brunette would resurface if they started spending more time with each other. And she was bound to run into Karma even more often than she previously expected.

At that moment, it dawned on Amy that if she was this worried about her feelings for Karma, it probably meant that she was not a hundred percent over her. But even if it were true, Amy knew that she would never again act on her feelings. She had already been burnt once, and she wouldn't let it happen again. And for some reason, Karma was always unavailable anyway. Amy didn't want to be a home wrecker, which fuelled her need to quell any remaining feelings for the beautiful brunette.

Amy was brought back from her thoughts when she felt Karma place a hand over her own to get her attention. Amy instantly felt the electricity of that one touch but quickly pushed it aside. She wondered if Karma felt it as well.

"Earth to Amy? So do you live on campus or do you commute from your parents'?" Before she could answer, she heard Jake call out for her.

"Hey Amy! You're here. Do you mind starting now? I know you have 15 minutes left til your shift but I'm swamped with these orders. Do you mind giving me a hand?" He asked her with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah no prob Jake I'll be there in a sec" She replied before turning back to Karma.

"Gotta go, I'll see you around" Amy said and gave Karma a genuine smile. She stood up from her chair to leave.

At the same time, Karma stood up as well and started gathering her things. She was putting her jacket on when Amy spoke again.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah, I was actually hoping you'd get here early for your shift. I just wanted to catch up a bit and make sure we were cool" Karma grinned.

"How did you know I was working today?" Amy asked with a raised brow.

"I was there when Jake mentioned it last night, remember?" Karma replied. She was already headed to the door.

Right before Karma pushed the door open to leave, she turned around when she heard Amy call out her name.

The blonde wasn't going to let Karma do all the teasing.

"Speaking of last night, I really liked that one song. I wish someone wrote me a song like that" Amy smirked knowingly, catching Karma off guard. She winked at the flushed brunette before heading over to finally help Jake.

* * *

Amy was carrying the last of her boxes up the stairs to her dorm room. She couldn't believe that she was only moving into her dorm on the third week of the semester. She had been on the waitlist and the school finally contacted her about an available room.

When she got to her hall, she noticed a little bit of a commotion going on. It looked like people were getting ready for something. Decorations and a ping pong table were being put up in the hallway which made it difficult for Amy to get through it with her box.

"Hey is there something going on tonight?" Amy asked a random guy.

"Yeah! Our entire floor is having a back to school party. I know we started three weeks ago but we just needed an excuse to party." The guy replied. "The theme is loungewear so no need to get all dressed up. Hope to see you there!"

"Thanks, yeah maybe I'll check it out later" Amy replied and walked towards her dorm. She put down her box and dug into her pockets for the key. Once inside her room, she started unpacking everything. She barely registered her roommate's side of the room because she was so preoccupied with getting everything unpacked.

Amy had her back to the door while she was bent over unpacking one of the boxes. She had her ipod playing so she didn't notice her roommate come in. She was startled when she felt someone poke her. Amy's jaw dropped when she realized who was going to be her new roommate. At this point, she asked herself why she was still surprised by her current predicament. The universe was clearly having a field day.

"figures" Amy whispered under her breath.

"Amy, are you my new roommate?" Karma grinned widely.

"I guess I am" Amy shrugged and answered with a half-smile.

"This is so great! We're gonna have so much fun together!" Karma beamed.

Amy was not so sure about that. Being roommates with Karma meant that she would have to see her every single day.

Karma reached for a box and silently started helping Amy unpack her things.

Amy finally had enough of the internal battle that she was having in her head. She didn't want to spend the entire school year constantly overanalyzing everything. If she was going to live with the brunette, she had to get closure and also define their relationship once and for all. Everything had to be crystal clear between them.

"Okay let's get everything out in the open" Amy finally blurted out as she was placing things on her desk.

"What do you mean?" Karma questioned.

"You know what I mean. We never got to talk about my pathetic confession to you and I don't want to dance around it for an entire year."

"Amy, it wasn't pathetic. Why didn't you call me though? We could have sorted things out and remained friends."

"I guess I was just embarrassed that I got rejected so I decided against calling you." Amy shrugged.

"Listen, I should have told you that I was dating someone. Not everyone is cool with hooking up with someone in an open relationship and I should have known that" Karma apologized.

"And I really hope that we can move past this since we're gonna be living with each other." The brunette continued and gave Amy a cute hald-smile.

"Deal?" Karma pressed on and walked over to Amy who was still next to her desk.

"Deal." Amy nodded.

"We're going to have so much fun!" Karma suddenly beamed. She took Amy by surprise when she hugged her out of sheer excitement.

"Okay buddy, go change into some cute sweats. In case you didn't notice, there's a party going on outside of our dorm and we're going!"

Amy chuckled to herself, as Karma happily got ready for the party. She had a feeling that this would be an interesting year to say the least. They could be just friends, right?

She sure hoped so.

* * *

**Up Next: Karma will be Amy's wingwoman at a halloween party. Amy goes home for the weekend and comes out to her parents.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimers: I do not own Faking it.

A/N: Sorry for any mistakes!

* * *

"Amy hold still!" Karma giggled while circling around the blonde.

"I'm trying!" Amy sighed. "Not too tight please" She was worried about her circulation.

Karma finally finished and looked pleased with her handiwork on Amy. "Perfect" she concluded.

The blonde stood in the middle of their dorm, encased in many layers of plastic wrap.

The tube dress was pretty decent, given the fact that it was made of plastic wrap. Amy had been worried that it would be completely see-through. However, she soon realized that as the layers of plastic started accumulating, she had nothing to worry about in terms of indecent exposure. Also, her white undergarments weren't even noticeable with the finished product.

"You couldn't have made the dress a tad longer?" Amy worried as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"No way! You have amazing legs and you need to show them off Ames" Karma answered smiling at her creation.

"Thanks, I guess…" The blonde slightly blushed from the compliment.

"Okay, how do I look?" Karma asked as she gave a little twirl. She was wearing a pair of skinny cargo pants, brown combat boots, an olive green form-fitting henley, and a black apron to top off her costume.

"You look killer" Amy replied, smirking at her own pun.

They had binge-watched the entire series of Dexter in their dorm in the last weeks and they were obsessed. Karma had convinced Amy to dress up as one of Dexter's victims while the brunette would dress as Dexter. They were going to a friend's house party for Halloween and they wanted to wear something that was somewhat original.

Since Amy had moved into the dorm, the girls have been almost inseparable. They did homework together, they went out together, and they even worked out together every morning. The only time that they were apart was when they didn't have class together or when Karma was out with Jake. She usually spent Fridays and Saturdays with Jake, while the rest of the week was spent hanging out with Amy. The girls were really getting along and there was no longer any tension or awkwardness between them.

"Oh one more thing." Karma remembered. She dug into one of her drawers and came up with a bottle of fake blood. She took her plastic knife and dipped it into the bottle. Then, the brunette proceeded to wipe some on Amy's tube dress and arms to make it look like she was bleeding. When Karma finished, she handed the bottle to Amy and the blonde splashed some red on Karma's apron to complete the look.

Once both girls were pleased with their outfits, they headed out to the party.

They finally arrived at the address given to them. They were both staring at their surroundings in awe. Amy was the one driving and she was waiting for the gates to let them in.

"Ummm did you know that Jesse lived in a huge mansion…?" Amy asked Karma slowly. They were both taking everything in. Although it was nighttime, the decorations and lights revealed the actual scale of the party. The only word that came to Amy's mind was "extravagant". They could already hear the music blasting from inside the mansion.

They hurried up to park the car and headed inside the house excitedly. It was filled with people. Amy wondered if it was over capacity. She looked up, and saw that the double staircase was crowded with people socializing. Amy was interrupted from her astonishment when she heard someone call out their names.

"Karma! Amy! You guys made it!" Jesse greeted them happily. "Oh I like your costumes, you girls look like the perfect Dexter duo." He commended.

"Thanks" Karma replied. Amy just decided to respond with a smile.

"Nice place"

"Thanks, it's my parents'. They're away for business and they let me throw this party. I didn't tell them I was gonna invite this many people though." Jesse chuckled. "I don't even think I know half the people who showed up." He realized.

"Anyway, thanks for coming. Most of the drinks are in the dinning room. I gotta go, I think I heard something shatter. Enjoy the party girls" Jesse waved and headed in the direction of the shatter.

"Let's get some drinks!" Karma grinned. She took Amy's hand and guided her towards what she assumed to be the dinning room.

After filling up their cups with some beer, they decided to sit down on some chairs set up around the perimeter of the makeshift dance floor.

"Ames, I'm gonna be your wing woman tonight!" Karma clapped excitedly. "We're gonna find you some cute girl to mack on." She continued with a mischievous grin.

"Okay" Amy agreed with a chuckle. The alcohol was already getting to her.

"Oh! I think I found someone. Look, across from us. She has been staring our way for a while now." Karma pointed out.

The girl in question was dressed in orange prison scrubs. Her costume wasn't flattering at all but the girl was gorgeous. She had adorably tousled shoulder-length hair, hazel eyes and a really nice smile.

Karma stood up and Amy followed as the brunette headed towards the cute girl. Karma nudged Amy to start the convo.

"Hey" Amy smiled at the cute red head that Karma had picked out for her.

"Hey yourself" the red head grinned.

"I'm Amy"

"Hi Amy, I'm Taylor" she replied flirtatiously.

"Nice costumes, are you guys like… dating?" Taylor queried.

"Oh no no" Karma chuckled.

"We just really _really_ like Dexter" Amy added sheepishly.

"Tell me about it. Wasn't that show just amazing? How did you feel about the ending of the series though?"

All three girls spent some time discussing their theories about the series finale of Dexter. After some time, Karma slowly extracted herself from the convo by excusing herself to go talk to some friends she spotted across from them.

Amy was enjoying her chat with Taylor when the red head took her hand to go dance.

The dance floor was crowded but they managed to squeeze in. Taylor turned her back to Amy and took the blonde's hands to place them on her hips. They started dancing in sync and Amy was really enjoying herself. She realized that Taylor was an amazing dancer and she couldn't stop smiling. The girl had some moves.

Things were getting pretty heated on the dance floor. It had been a while since she had seen Karma though. She looked around the dance floor and spotted Karma talking to a few of her friends. Before Amy returned her attention to Taylor, she saw Karma glance in the direction of Amy as if she already knew where she had been the entire time. _Had she been watching me the whole time?_ Amy wondered to herself. Amy chalked it up to Karma just keeping an eye on her to make sure that she was safe.

She returned to dancing with Taylor but looked back in Karma's direction after a while. Once again, she caught the brunette staring. They didn't make any gesture to acknowledge eachother but maintained a steady gaze. Amy wondered what was going on.

Suddenly, Karma was walking towards her and Taylor. Amy gulped, unsure of what Karma was going to do. She watched as Karma taped Taylor on her shoulder.

"Hey, sorry Taylor, but Amy promised me a dance. Do you mind if I collect?" Karma asked the red head with a friendly smile.

"Yeah no worries, Amy has worn me out. I needed a break anyway." She winked at Amy and walked over to her group of friends.

Once Taylor was gone, Amy turned to Karma and raised her eyebrow curiously.

"I don't remember promising anything of that sort" She commented with a slight smirk.

"Can't a girl dance with her cute friend?" She simply stated as she playfully pulled Amy closer to her. When they were close enough, Karma released her hold on Amy's arms. Amy presumed that Karma didn't want to blur the lines between friendly dancing. Both girls figured it would be safer if they kept the physical touching to a minimum.

Both of their grins grew even wider when _Let me blow ya mind_ started blasting through the speakers.

They started dancing to the smooth rhythm but made sure to keep a decent amount of distance between them. Unfortunately, they were suddenly pushed together by the oblivious crowd around them. Physical contact was unavoidable.

Karma looked like she didn't know what to do about the proximity. But finally, Amy decided to make this situation less awkward for the both of them by gently placing her arms over Karma's shoulders. They never stopped dancing and kept their gaze locked. Amy could see every single detail on Karma's face. The brunette carried a look of worry and uncertainty. Amy could sense that her discomfort was probably rooted from their close proximity. But the crowd wasn't dispersing.

Amy gave Karma an encouraging smile in an attempt to communicate that she shouldn't worry.

Accepting Amy's encouragement, Karma shakily placed her hands on the blonde's hips. She breathed out with a nervous smile directed at Amy. Amy leaned in to say something in her ear. The blonde thought she heard Karma's breath hitch but decided that it was just her imagination.

"This doesn't have to be awkward okay?" Amy spoke gently over the music. "Don't worry Karms. You don't have to feel uncomfortable around me. I would never take advantage of a situation that could ruin our friendship. All my feelings are completely platonic" The blonde continued reassuringly. Though, she knew that deep down; she could never completely get rid of all her feelings for Karma. But she would never reveal that to the brunette because they were getting along so well as friends.

Amy pulled back and caught Karma looking somewhat disappointed by what she had said. But as soon as the brunette realized that Amy was looking at her, she quickly recovered from her initial reaction by giving her friend a genuine smile.

"Okay" Karma simply nodded.

For a moment, Amy wondered about that look of disappointment but quickly chased those thoughts away.

"You're also a really good dancer" Amy stated light-heartedly which earned a chuckle from the brunette.

They ended up dancing and enjoying each other's company for the rest of the night. Amy had completely forgotten about Taylor until the red head came up to her to give Amy her number. Taylor said goodbye to both girls and left with her friends.

"You gonna call her?" Karma asked interestedly.

"What do you think?" Amy countered.

"Yeah, I think you should. She's cute." Karma gave Amy a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Okay I think I will" Amy decided proudly.

"Hey it's getting late" Karma changed the subject. "Wanna head back to the dorms?"

"Yeah sure" Amy agreed, sensing a slight irritation in Karma's voice.

* * *

Part two in the next few days. Sorry for delay!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimers: I do not own Faking it.

**A/N: Kinda short chapter. Unfortunately, the gist of the dinner convo was written from a personal experience.**

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Amy singsonged as she entered her dorm. She had been hanging out with Taylor since the Halloween party and Amy really enjoyed the red head's company.

"How was your date?" Karma inquired as she looked up from a textbook she was reading.

"It was nice." Amy replied with a smile. She set her bag down and plopped herself on the bed. "I found out that Taylor is also a singer. I haven't heard her sing yet but she promised that she would sing to me one day"

"Seems like a talented gal" Karma said with a hint of disinterest but also jealousy. "So what time are you leaving for your parents?" She asked, trying to move away from talking about Taylor.

"In half an hour actually. They're expecting me for dinner." Amy walked to her closet and started packing a few necessities in her bag. She hasn't seen her parents since school started and they were requesting she visit for the weekend.

"Excited to see them?"

"Yeah. I'm really excited to see Lauren though. I haven't seen her in almost a year. It'll be nice to catch up."

Lauren was Amy's half sister who was studying at a dance academy in New York. They didn't get along at first, but they soon found some common ground and they have been close ever since. Lauren was so honest and that's what Amy loved about her. And even though they spoke on the phone regularly, Amy really missed having her around.

"I'll have to meet her someday. She seems cool." Karma said.

"Deal! She might come off as blunt but that's just her personality. I'm sure you'll love her nonetheless." Amy promised happily.

Amy continued packing some things and idly chatted with Karma until she was ready to leave for her parents'.

* * *

The entire family was at the dinner table and the evening was going well. Her parents asked both girls about school and life in general. Lauren talked about her most recent dancing gigs while Amy talked about the psychology classes she was taking. The conversations were light and interesting until Amy's mother brought up a rumor that she heard about their neighbors.

"Did you hear about Jason from next door? I heard that he came out to his parents not too long ago." Her mom gossiped. "I never would have guessed."

Amy subtly eyed Lauren and they gave each other a look.

Although Jason didn't officially come out until now, he was pretty open about it and almost everyone kind of knew that he was gay.

"Does it really matter mom?" Amy replied in annoyance. She was irritated by her mother's tone.

She had yet to come out to her family because she always had a nagging feeling that her mother would have a problem with it. They never really had an actual conversation about homosexuality per se, but whenever it was mentioned in a conversation, she would express her disapproval by snickering to herself or dismissing the topic altogether. Her mother's derisive demeanor had always bothered Amy. She wondered if her mom's behavior revealed a defense mechanism to something that made her feel uncomfortable. It could also mean that she didn't take gay people seriously.

The exchange at hand was the first time that Amy was hearing her mother's views on the matter. And it was becoming painfully obvious that her mother was homophobic.

"Well I just feel bad for his parents… he's abnormal and they have to deal with that." Her mom scoffed offhandedly. She didn't seem to notice her daughter's escalading anger from across the table. She took a casual sip of wine before she heard her daughter speak.

"Mom! What century are you living in!" Amy all but screamed. She was balling her fists under the table when she felt Lauren put a hand on her arm to calm her down. The blonde was seething by having to endure this kind of ignorance from her own mother.

Her stepfather and Lauren remained silent as they watched the argument unfold.

"If I had a gay kid, I'd love them more because of their handicap." She stated proudly.

Amy could not believe what she was hearing. How could her mother be so ignorant, so homophobic, so insensitive to the struggles that gay people had to endure day in and out because of people like her.

The worst part was that her mom was unknowingly attacking something that was at the core of her being. Amy's sexuality was a part of her that she couldn't change. And to hear her mom devalue her as a person was heartbreaking enough to cause Amy to recoil from her budding anger.

"Now Farrah honey, don't you think you're being a little bit harsh?" Her stepfather interfered with a frown.

"Mom, I am so ashamed to have you as a parent." Amy sadly spoke. She decided that it was no longer worth arguing with her mom. She was so emotionally exhausted that she just stood up and silently walked towards her bedroom.

"Oh Amy dear, don't be so dramatic. Jason's just our neighbor. It's not like we know him personally." Her mom called out obliviously.

Amy half-heartedly chuckled to herself because of the irony.

* * *

**Up Next: the aftermath (totally fictional)**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimers: I don't own Faking it.

A/N: HI sorry it's been awhile. I was trying to figure out the direction of the story. Hopefully I don't take as long for the next updates. Also, sorry this one is a tad short.

Once again THANKS for reviews, follows, alerts, etc etc. It's great.

* * *

Amy spent the rest of the night lying in bed trying really hard to forget about what had just happened. She was listening to Haim when she heard a soft knock on her door.

"Go away" she groaned into her pillow.

"Hey, it's only me." Lauren peeped in with a worried look on her face. "I can come back later if you want." She continued.

"No, it's okay. Come in" She answered reassuringly. She felt the bed dip and turned around to look at Lauren.

"How are you holding up?" She inquired and lightly placed her hand on Amy's arm to express her concern.

"Oh you know….just dandy" Amy sniffed sarcastically.

"I'm really sorry I didn't speak up. I just froze. I didn't know what to say and didn't want to make things worst." She apologized while looking at the ground.

"Lauren, it's fine. I'm sorry you had to be in the middle of all this." She stood up from her lying position and leaned her back on the headboard to sit down. Lauren followed suit and sat next to her step sister.

"It was hard to hear Ames. I can't imagine how you felt when Farrah said those things"

"I guess I'm never coming out of the closet" Amy chuckled miserably.

"Don't say that. Your mom loves you. It may take some time for her to process and accept it but I'm sure she'll come around. Don't underestimate a mother's love for her daughter." She reassured her.

"I doubt it." Amy retorted cynically. The blonde suddenly stood up and started to gather the things that she had previously unpacked.

"What are you doing?" Lauren asked with a raised brow.

"What does it look like." Amy sighed. "I really can't be here right now. Or anytime soon for that matter."

"I get it. I would have loved to catch up more but there'll be another time for that. You get better and I'll try my best to come visit you at school ASAP." She offered understandingly.

Amy stopped her re-packing to give her sister a grateful look. "Thanks Lauren."

"What are sisters for."

* * *

Amy quietly entered her dorm at 4 am in the morning and found Karma soundly asleep. However, the brunette woke up when she heard Amy close the door. She looked like she was surprised to see her roommate.

"Hey" She croaked groggily. Her throat was dry from sleeping.

"Hey yourself" Amy whispered with a tiny smile. She was trying really hard to stop the tears that she was so desperately holding back.

Karma frowned and propped herself up with her elbows. "What's wrong?"

Amy was unable to control the stray tear that fell from her face and the brunette seemed to notice it despite the darkness of the room.

Without another word, Karma lifted her sheets for Amy to join her in bed. The blonde was grateful for the gesture and proceeded to get into the sheets. Amy then felt Karma circle her arms around her waist and brought her close. Once they were settled, Amy couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. There was no place that she'd rather be at that moment. The moment was stripped of any sexual tension whatsoever or any suppressed feelings. She just needed someone to make her feel better. She needed this.

And all at once, she finally decided to let go of any remaining feelings she had held for Karma. Despite her undeniable attraction to the brunette, Amy didn't want to complicate things. Her friendship with Karma was far more important at this point.

"You'll be okay." Karma spoke softly right before both girls drifted to sleep.

* * *

A few weeks later, Karma and Amy were on their way to Karma's parents' for Thanksgiving weekend. Amy's mom had invited her to come home for the weekend but she had politely declined, claiming that she had too much schoolwork. She wasn't surprised that her mom was acting like nothing had happened. But at the same time, the blonde was disappointed that her mom appeared to be unaffected by any of it. _How could she sweep everything under the rug?_ Amy wondered. It wasn't like Amy had tried to mask her anger and pretend that everything her mom had said didn't upset her. There was also the fact that she up and left in the middle of the night without telling anyone but Lauren.

She decided that she wouldn't go back home to visit until her mom finally acknowledged Amy's feelings and showed even an inch of concern as to why she was actually upset with her.

After briefing Karma on her family situation, the brunette generously invited Amy to spend thanksgiving with her instead of spending it alone on campus. She accepted the invitation and was looking forward to meeting Karma's parents. Karma had assured Amy that her parents were very open about sexuality and that they were very accepting.

"Hey mom, you're on speaker phone. What's up?" Karma answered while keeping her eyes on the road.

"Hi honey, I'm calling to let you know that there's going to be a change in the bedroom arrangements." Karma's mom said apologetically.

"How so?" She asked with a hint of worry.

"Your brother will actually be joining us for thanksgiving so he's going to be sleeping in his old room. I hope Amy won't mind sleeping in your bedroom during her stay with us."

"Uhhh" With a slight frown, Karma took her eyes off the road for a second to look at Amy questioningly.

"Yeah, It'll be fine Mrs. Ashcroft" Amy chipped in reassuringly.

"Great! Anyway, Karma's bed is big enough for the both of you. See you girls soon!" She said excitedly before hanging up.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Karma finally spoke.

"Soo…" She drawled. "You okay with sharing a bed?"

"Of course. It's not like we never shared a bed at the dorms." Amy said nonchalantly while looking out the window.

Amy failed to notice the slightly worried look that Karma had on her face.

* * *

**Up Next**: Is Karma starting to become more aware of her feelings for Amy right when the blonde decided to let go of her own?


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Faking it.

**A/N**: Took longer to write than expected. I've had other stuff going on and also went to osheaga this weekend. Haim was amazing i'm in love with them!

AND don't worry. I plan on finishing this fic. I've had the misfortune of reading countless unfinished fics so I know how it feels.

Thanks for all the support and interest!

* * *

Amy quietly inhaled to herself. She patiently waited as Karma sifted through her bag for her house keys.

Although Amy was grateful that the Ashcrofts were welcoming her into their home for thanksgiving, she was still slightly nervous about meeting her parents and brother. For some unknown reason, Amy really wanted them to like her. She came to the conclusion that it was due to the possibility that her own family (excluding Lauren) did not provide her with the emotional support that she needed and the Ashcrofts may just be generous enough to include her in their family; albeit merely for the holidays.

"Aha! Found them" Karma exclaimed triumphantly while jiggling her keys in front of Amy's face.

Amy playfully swatted the keys away from her face.

"Wow Karms, do you want a prize?" she teased.

"Hmm" She drawled, while at the same time cocking a brow to give the blonde a challenging look. "In fact, I do want a prize, _but_ I don't think you'll be up for it." She continued as she unlocked the door. Amy immediately noticed the change in the brunette's demeanor. Her voice sounded smooth, which indicated a hint of flirtation that Amy knew all too well. It had turned into a regular thing for them and Amy was more than happy to play along with the banter. She just took it as a sign that they were growing closer as friends and more comfortable around each other.

"Try me" Amy countered without missing a beat.

Karma took her keys out of the lock and turned towards Amy. She gave the blonde an amused expression right before invading her personal space. Amy could see the smirk on Karma's face. It was a taunting smirk that annoyed the hell out of her because she knew the meaning behind it. Karma was obviously edging her on. She was so sure that Amy would back down due to her shy personality.

Amy refused to be read so easily and as a result, did not back away. They were so close, their gazes locked. Amy could see that Karma's pupils were dilated. For a fleeting moment, the blonde wondered about the telltale but settled that Karma's pupils were just adjusting to the lighting.

At this point, their faces were inches apart. Amy was internally panicking but still stood her ground. She wasn't going to give into the brunette's smugness. Karma maintained her infamous smirk as she softly reached for Amy's limp hand. Amy felt a tingle at the tips of her fingers. The brunette proceeded to lick her lips while slowly leaning in. Amy instinctively closed her eyes, as she knew what would happen next. But when nothing came, she felt keys being slipped into her hands and heard Karma speak into her ear.

"Since you offered" She started, with her sultry smooth voice. "Do you mind fetching my bag. I forgot it in the trunk" She continued with a playful click of her tongue.

Karma was grinning and winked at Amy who was sporting a tiny scowl from the anticlimactic turn of events.

"Thanks for the prize Ames, it was priceless. I'll met ya inside" she finished as she walked into the house leaving the door open for Amy.

Amy understood the implication and headed towards the car replaying what had just happened.

_Damn she's good_.

* * *

As soon as Amy set the bag down in the house, she was engulfed in a tight hug from a woman who she assumed was Karma's mother.

"Oh Amy, we're so glad to have you here for thanksgiving" She conveyed while still keeping her in a locked embrace. Amy finally relaxed into the hug after realizing that it would be a lengthy one.

"Karma told us about your situation at home and if you need anything, and I mean anything at all, you just tell us. We are here to help. There is no judging in this house, we accept everyone for who they are!" She empathized and squeezed the blonde a bit more. She wasn't surprised that Karma told them because the brunette was very close to her parents. However, Amy would have liked a heads up or maybe just a casual mention that Karma had shared a very personal issue with her parents. Nevertheless, Mrs. Ashcroft's maternal generosity lifted her spirits.

"Thanks so much Mrs. Ashcroft. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me." Amy squeaked out.

"You are very welcome my dear! And don't be silly, call me Molly." She finally released the blonde to introduce her husband who was watching the entire interaction with Karma.

"And this is my husband Lucas"

Amy once again received a big bear hug from Lucas and really just took it all in. They were so welcoming. She could tell that they were such loving and nurturing parents. She really couldn't help but envy the environment that Karma had been brought up in. The blonde only hoped to stay friends with Karma for a long time because she needed people like this in her life. She needed people who were so eager to care. It was a breath of fresh air.

She spotted Karma watching her and gave her a sincere smile to express her gratitude.

Once the introductions were over, her parents left them to unpack in Karma's room. Zen would be arriving a little bit later and they would call the girls down once dinner was ready. It would be an early dinner because Molly and Lucas liked going to bed earlier than most people. Something that Karma didn't have in common with them. The brunette was a night owl.

* * *

They heard a knock on the door and Karma called for the person to enter. The girls had finished unpacking and were just lounging on the bed listening to music.

A tall man with chestnut hair and wearing a cool looking poncho entered the room. Karma immediately stood up and ran towards her brother.

"Zen! You're back!" Karma said as she hugged him so tightly.

Amy smiled while watching them.

Zen released Karma and walked towards Amy to introduce himself. He carried a wide smile directed at the blonde right before giving her a hug too.

He pulled away while keeping his hands on her shoulders to look at her.

"And who might this be?" He asked with a huge grin on his face. Unlike Karma's darker eyes, Zen's eyes were a lighter shade of green much like her own. She could see that he was kind. He looked like the happy-go-lucky type. She saw hints of it in Karma, but the brunette was a little more guarded. Amy wondered why.

"Hi, I'm Amy. Nice to meet you." Amy timidly greeted with a genuine smile.

Still grinning, Zen turned to his sister questioningly. "So is Amy your girlfriend?"

"What? No!" Karma hurriedly replied with a tittering laugh.

"Are you sure?" His grin turned into a smirk and looked back and forth at both girls. All Amy could muster up was a nervous smile while looking at Karma to take the lead on this one.

"Then why are you blushing?" He mocked knowingly.

"I'm not! It's just really warm in my room! Drop it Zen, we're just friends." She said with a higher pitch than usual. It was undoubtedly an awkward situation for them. However, Amy couldn't help but notice that Karma was somewhat unhinged from Zen's harmless teasing.

She could see it in her eyes. They were nervous.

Zen was just doing it all in good fun but Karma appeared to be taking it to heart. In all honestly, Amy was a little bit offended that Karma had profusely denied it. Was Karma that repulsed by the idea of dating Amy? The brunette was just flirting with her only an hour ago. And last time she checked, Karma was the one pushing her buttons during said banter sessions.

Before any of it could escalate any further, they heard Molly call them for dinner downstairs.

"If you say so" Zen winked, getting the last word in before heading down for dinner.

Amy caught Karma silently exhaling to herself before following Zen.

* * *

**A/N**: Yes this was fluff! I promise that i'll get to the good stuff next chapter!

**Up Next**: Karma's parents go to bed super early. Alcohol may be involved, a secret hideaway may be involved. Some wetness (take it as you will).


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own faking it.

**A/N: **Lucky chapter 13! I hope you guys listen to the song I will suggest at some point during the chapter! I love it for the scene!

* * *

As expected, thanksgiving dinner at the Ashcrofts was very pleasant. Molly made a yummy dish entirely from fresh produce, which was surprisingly very filling. The dinner table was filled with small talk, catching up, and Zen embarrassing Karma in front of Amy. The mood was very light and jovial. They were even treated by Zen who had broken out his guitar and sang an original piece. The family clearly had a musical gene.

Once everyone had finished eating at around 5 in the evening, Karma's parents took on cleaning duties and insisted that they were free to do as they pleased. Molly and Lucas also bided them goodnight because they were headed to bed as soon as they finished in the kitchen. Amy had never met people who slept this early but she just figured that they had a valid reason for doing so.

All three ended up in the basement sharing a bottle of gin that Zen had surprised them with. The girls were splayed on a leather couch while Zen was on the floor focused on some video game. Once in a while, he would pause his game to take a swig. And for an hour, they just enjoyed each other's company. They were all getting along so well and after a while, Zen even ditched his game to talk to them properly. There was lots of laughing, teasing and most importantly, lingering stares by the brunette. Zen was familiar with his sister's look, he knew what it meant but he decided to keep it to himself. He had done enough teasing for the day.

Karma's head found itself on Amy's lap and the blonde was gently caressing her hair. They were watching Zen attempt to drunkenly play a difficult song on his guitar. It was a funny sight that left both girls giggling.

After a while, Zen confiscated the bottle, warning them that if they drank any more, they would end up being sick and hung over the next day.

"Take it!" Karma dismissed. "We're in a good vibe anyway. Very unsober but not too drunk so we're good." She looked up to give Amy a goofy smile as a request to agree with her.

"Yeah what she said." Amy nodded happily and continued to play with Karma's hair.

Zen snorted and stood up from his sitting position.

"Karms, I don't think unsober is an actual word. You sure you're okay?"

"Yes I'm perfectly functional Zen" To prove her point, she tried to get off the couch. The brunette failed miserably and ended up falling back on Amy. She tried once again and finally wobbled towards Zen who looked very amused. She smirked at her brother and quickly snatched the bottle from him.

"One more for the road!" She exclaimed while taking a swig and handing it over to the blonde.

Zen laughed at his sister and retrieved his bottle. He planned to leave the two alone in order to give them time to interact privately. Alcohol was always a great social lubricant.

"Well I'm off! I haven't seen Chase in a while so he's expecting me over. I'll give you ladies some alone time." He winked once more at his sister and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Go get'em tiger" He whispered into her ear. Her look was one that resembled a dear in headlights. He could see her mind racing but just gave her an encouraging smile before turning towards Amy.

"Amy! It was nice hanging out. My friends are really needy so I may not see you before you leave." He said jokingly and hugged her. "It was a pleasure."

After Zen had left, Karma turned towards Amy and grabbed her hand cheekily.

"Up, up! I'm taking you somewhere" She said excitedly while guiding her up the stairs.

"Are you sure? It's only a few hours til' the sun sets" The blonde questioned.

"Positive. We have time. And trust me, it'll be worth it."

The girls ended up walking for 15 minutes. Karma had lead the way, all while holding Amy's hand the entire time.

They stopped in front of tall trees that appeared to go on for miles. Amy looked at Karma curiously.

"You're not bringing me into the woods to kill me or something right?" She asked half-jokingly.

"Very funny. C'mon, you'll love it." She said as she tugged the blonde's hand and started to walk.

"Are you sure we have time? I don't want be in the woods when it gets dark" She pleaded.

"Ames, just trust me. I've been here a thousand times." Karma looked at her reassuringly with a little smile.

"Okay" she exhaled. "Lead the way"

They were still very tipsy, but the silence of the woods was sobering. It was beautiful and peaceful.

"I love it here." Karma spoke up. "There's usually no one around, so I come here to be alone with my thoughts. It's my favorite place actually." She shared with a wide smile. Her smile revealed how much this place meant to her.

Amy simply nodded. She was also looking at her surroundings and completely understood why Karma loved it so much; it was an escape.

She suddenly noticed the sound of water nearby. She looked at Karma who was already grinning at her; clearly waiting for Amy's reaction.

**_Friends to Lovers by AlunaGeorge_** (give it a listen for this part!)

Amy was now taking in the sight before her. It was a waterfall. The trees engulfed them while allowing streaks of light to hit the water. It was breathtaking.

Before she knew it, Karma was removing her clothes in front of her. The brunette threw her shirt at Amy and beamed.

"C'mon strip! We're getting in NOW" She demanded as she finished taking her pants off. She was grinning at Amy expectantly.

The blonde shyly turned around to strip down to her underwear. As soon as she discarded the last of her clothes, she felt Karma ring her arms around her waist. She suddenly lifted her up and threw her in the water. The brunette soon followed her in with a splash.

Amy resurfaced from her dunk in the water and immediately started towards Karma to get her back. Given their semi-inebriated state, Amy was surprised that Karma was able to swim away from her so quickly. They spent some time chasing and splashing each other until it was time to catch their breaths. It was still bright out but the sun looked like it was starting to set. They probably had about an hour left before it would turn too cold to stay in the water.

They soon found a rock where the cascading water was sparse and faint. They sat close to avoid water pouring directly on them. The slight breeze from the waterfalls caused Amy to shiver. This didn't go unnoticed by Karma who reached out to rub her hands up and down Amy's arms. Amy closed her eyes enjoying the little heat provided by the friction. Once she felt the brunette stop, she opened her eyes to find Karma silently and unabashedly staring at her. No one made any attempt to move. No words were exchanged. They were both in a daze that kept their gazes locked on one another.

After what felt like an eternity, Karma finally lifted her hand to gently push away a blonde stray from Amy's face. Her hand continued down, lightly tracing the side of her neck, her shoulder, and all the way down her arm. Amy couldn't help the goose bumps in response to Karma's feather-light touch.

Karma was no longer staring into Amy's eyes. The brunette was focused on her lips. And very swiftly, Karma leaned in to give the blonde a peck. But as soon as their lips touched, Amy reached for Karma's head to prevent her from pulling away. This time, Amy closed the gap and kissed her deeply. She sunk into the kiss and let herself enjoy it. Amy involuntarily moaned into the kiss as she could no longer deny how much she wanted this since their last kiss.

But as soon as it started, it was over. Amy pulled away abruptly, remembering their last kiss and how it ultimately ended in heartbreak. She looked at Karma who was frowning in confusion. Her lips were already swollen from the intensity of the kiss. Amy shook her head.

"I can't do this again" she said exasperated. She started walking towards her clothes. She was still wet but didn't care. She put her clothes back on and didn't even look back before she walked away. She was glad she remembered her way out of the woods because she didn't want to have to wait for Karma. As she walked, she heard Karma call for her but Amy refused to look back. Amy finally reached the end of the woods when it began to rain. It made her run faster.

As she was running, she could hear Karma slowly catching up to her. She felt Karma reach for her arm to stop her but Amy jerked it away. Finally loosing patience, she heard Karma desperately yell.

"Amy, will you just stop running!" She demanded.

"What!" Amy turned around in a frenzy. "What do you want from me Karma? Huh? You want to kiss me but go running back to your real boyfriend once you're done with me? I respect myself too much to be someone's second choice. I thought we were over this. I thought we agreed to put all of this shit behind." She was winded, but continued. "What's your deal? We've been through this once before and there is no way I'm letting this happen again."

"You kissed me back!" Karma retorted hopelessly. She crossed her arms and looked at the ground, obviously ashamed.

"It was a drunken mistake" She spat back.

"No it wasn't and you know it" She answered angrily. "There's something here and I'm not going to deny it anymore." She took a deep breath before saying with finality. "I'm breaking it off with Jake! I want to be with you and only you!"

Amy covered her face with her hands and laughed miserably. "Don't bother." She answered cynically.

"How can I _possibly _trust you? You don't even have the fucking courtesy to break it off with Jake before kissing me. Fine, the attraction is obviously there but how can I trust a cheater who only thinks about herself? Karma! You have to think about the people you're affecting!" The combination of the loud rain and burgeoning anger was causing her to yell out her feelings.

Karma was still looking at the ground after being hit by a high dose of reality. She finally spoke back.

"I've been really confused these past few months. I tried really hard to suppress my feelings for you but I just couldn't bare it anymore. I think I'm in love with you." She finally settled. Despite the rain, Amy could see that Karma was obviously crying.

For a fleeting second, Amy's resolve weakened but she soon regained her composure.

"Karma" She sighed. The brunette was sobbing. Amy circled her arm around Karma's shoulder and guided her the rest of the way home.

Once back at the Ashcrofts, Amy helped Karma get into the shower.

She quickly changed out of her wet clothes, booked a bus ride back to campus and left a note for Karma to find when she was done in the shower.

_Karma,_

_We need to take some time apart. I can't be friends with you right now. I think it's best if we just get over our feelings separately. How ever long it may take. I'm really sorry._

_I'll see you at the dorms,_

_Amy_

* * *

**Up next**: Awkwardness back at the dorms? What will Karma do?

Please tell me what you guys think!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I know, I know, I haven't updated in a while. This is just a filler chapter. Mostly dialogue. **

**I'll try to write as much as possible before I start school next week! So expect a chapter (or more) in a few days! **

**Sorry for any mistakes, I just wanted to get this one up ASAP.**

* * *

"Okay, yeah. Thanks for the heads up. Bye" Karma had her phone on her ear with a small frown.

Amy was pretending to busy herself at her desk but she couldn't help but overhear Karma's conversation with their RA. A pipe had burst on their floor and all the students were required to stay in their dorms until the problem was solved.

The blonde really didn't want to be in the same room as Karma for too long. She had been avoiding the brunette for three months now. Spending her days and nights at work, at the library or at a café focusing on schoolwork. She figured that it would help to distract her. Karma had tried to talk to her as soon as she had gotten back from Thanksgiving but Amy refused. She had finally given up sensing that the blonde wasn't ready to talk about what had happened over Thanksgiving.

"That was Alice. Something about a busted pipe. I guess you're stuck with me" Karma chuckled uneasily.

Amy merely nodded but didn't bother looking up from her desk. She heard Karma move to her bed. After a few seconds, she heard the faint music coming from Karma's earphones. Amy felt bad, but it was for the best.

After an hour passed, Karma finally snapped which had caught Amy off guard because she had been so focused on her homework.

"Amy, I've had enough of this!" She stated with a raised voice.

"Can't we talk about what happened?" She continued as she looked at Amy both expectantly and in desperation.

"Fine, talk." Amy replied dryly.

"Listen. I meant everything that I said and I won't take any of it back. Not that it matters, but I broke up with Jake as soon as I got home. I just thought you should know."

"How did he take it?" The blonde asked cynically.

"He took it really hard actually." She admitted guiltily. "I came clean about everything and he got pretty upset about it. I know I hurt him."

"You knew exactly what you were doing" She scoffed.

"Well, last time I checked, you kissed me back" The brunette finally retorted with obvious aggravation.

"Yeah, and how many times do I have to tell you that it was a huge mistake!" She retorted.

The room went deafeningly silent. There was nothing else to say. Both girls just stared at each other; reflecting on their predicament.

A few minutes passed and Amy finally relinquished with a sigh.

"Okay. I'm really tired of all this. Look, I've personally apologized to Jake last month and I just want to put this entire thing behind." Her hand was on her forehead with her eyes glued to the floor as she spoke.

"We're just not right for each other. Timing is never right." She continued wearily. She kept her eyes on the ground to avoid looking at Karma.

"Amy, now is the right time. We can make this work. Please give me a chance." The brunette pleaded as she took a few steps towards her.

"Karma, I'm going to Duke" She sighed sadly. She knew this conversation had to happen before she left but she had been dreading it.

"What are you talking about?" The brunette frowned in confusion.

"I got accepted into Duke and I'm going. They have a better psych program over there." She tried to explain. The anger in her voice dissipating as she witnessed the sad look on Karma's face.

"Oh" was all the brunette could muster up without chocking on her words.

"I'm leaving right after finals next week because I'm starting in the summer." She admitted. She looked up and could see that Karma was fighting back tears.

"Oh" Karma repeated.

* * *

**Up Next: Fast Forward!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Short chapter but another one coming up in 1-2 days! **

* * *

Icy air welcomed Amy as she walked through the revolving doors. She had just landed and she already sensed the possible onset of frostbite. She should have brought gloves. December in Chicago was not to be trifled with.

The airport was packed with people who were probably flying in for New Years. The blonde expected it, but she really wanted to start off the year in her new home. The amount of people around her was overwhelming so she walked towards the welcome area in hopes of spotting her ride.

She heard a honk from a car behind her and watched as it approached. The car stopped to reveal an almost unrecognizable Lauren in the driver's seat. She was so bundled up that Amy barely saw her face.

"Get in loser!" Lauren grinned widely.

Lauren popped the trunk open to let Amy place her suitcase inside. The rest of her stuff would arrive later this week.

She jumped in the car and was greeted by a tight hug from Lauren.

"I've missed you Ames!" Lauren beamed.

"Same here Lo. It's been way too long"

"I think we'll make up for it now that we'll be living together!" Lauren replied excitedly. "Also, sorry about the lack of heat in this car. I'm getting it repaired tomorrow." The shorter girl continued.

"It's fine" Amy reassured her sister sweetly.

"Okay let's get you home shall we?" Lauren proposed as she switched the ignition on.

Amy nodded in excitement. She looked ahead at the distant Chicago skyscrapers and couldn't help but grin to herself.

* * *

After completing her last year of residency in North Carolina, Amy had received an offer to work in the psychiatry department at the Northwestern Memorial hospital. She had gladly accepted the offer because she knew that it would be a great opportunity. If she was being completely honest, she also really loved Chicago's cityscape and couldn't wait to live in such a metropolitan area. Living with Lauren was the cherry on top.

Amy didn't even need to look for a place to stay because Lauren owned a fairly big condo in the heart of Chicago. It was safe to say that she was doing fairly well working for one of the most renowned dancing agencies in the country. The agency thrived due to their vast connections in the entertainment industry. Amy wasn't too sure what Lauren's job entailed but she knew that it was more on the business side of things. Dancing had become more of a keen hobby for her. Another perk of her job was that she got invited to important parties as the primary business representative of the agency. Lauren had warned Amy that her job would often require for her to travel across the country and as a result, leaving Amy alone in the condo for a few days at a time. However, on the night of Amy's arrival, Lauren had to attend a party at a Chicago nightclub and she was dragging Amy with her. The agency was in the initial stages of the contract and Lauren needed to meet a few of the people from the record label as a formality.

Amy and Lauren arrived at the nightclub and were escorted to the VIP section overseeing the flooding dance floor. She had not been to many clubs during her residency in North Carolina but she planned on improving her social life now that she lived in the city.

As soon as they sat at the table, people from the record label greeted them. Amy soon realized that the VIP section was a closed-off party thrown by the label. She looked around and felt out of place. She took a few sips from her drink and quietly interrupted Lauren to let her know that she was headed to the dance floor.

"Be good" She heard Lauren say over the music.

"Will do" Amy replied with a wink and walked towards the stairs.

She went to the bar and ordered a few drinks. She was glad that she had the VIP bracelet. It meant that all her drinks would be charged on the label's tab for the night. Amy decided to take full advantage of that fact and ordered four shots of tequila to get the night started. After all, it was her first night out and she had slowed down her drinking since med school.

After a while, she let a cute brunette buy her a drink and followed her to the dance floor. The music was pumping and the girl was a great dancer. As the night went on, she continued to dance with the pretty brunette but she couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her. She looked around a few times but couldn't spot anyone that looked suspicious. She figured that it was just irrational paranoia from all the alcohol.

Once she got tired of dancing, she thanked the brunette for being such a delightful dance partner and gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading towards the VIP section. She could tell that the brunette wanted to get her number but Amy wasn't really looking for any sort of relationship at the moment. Maybe after she was settled in would she take a shot at dating.

She reached the VIP area and heard someone call her name from behind.

"Amy?" She heard a familiar voice call out. Amy vaguely recognized it but the alcohol could be messing with her head. Before she could process it, she felt the person grab her wrist from behind. Despite her halt in movement, she slowly turned around to face the recognizable voice. It was Karma. And she looked beautiful.

* * *

**Up Next: Why is Karma at the club?**


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimers: I don't own Faking It.

**A/N**: Hello! Hi! Hey! Another short chapter. I'll update in 1-2 days again! It might also be a much anticipate chapter ;)

* * *

Amy stayed frozen in place as she took sight of the woman standing before her. She couldn't stop herself from physically responding to seeing the brunette for the first time in so long. Blood was rushing to her face and she felt her heart racing through her ears. She immediately gripped the railings because she knew that her knees would give in any minute. Never in a million years did she expect to run into Karma again. She thought that Austin was the last time that they would see each other because she was going to Duke. She wasn't planning on returning, given the bad blood with her mother. As Amy was processing everything, Karma merely stared at Amy with a huge grin waiting for the blonde to gather herself and finally say something.

Memories came rushing back for Amy and she wasn't prepared for such a powerful reaction.

Amy shook herself out of her daze and finally spoke up.

"Karma, hey!" She said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster up in order to hide her internal shock.

"Hi" She simply replied and reached out to hug Amy.

It was a quick and friendly hug. Formalities, really.

"It feels like a lifetime ago" The brunette admitted.

"Yeah I know" Amy chuckled uneasily. She was still wondering how she had managed to run into Karma on her first day in this city.

"I knew I recognized you on the dance floor. Still a killer dancer I see. Looked like you were having fun." Karma added light-heartedly.

Amy blushed after realizing that she had been grinding on the dance floor.

"So what brings you to this fine establishment?" Amy quickly recovered.

"Just an informal meeting with a record label. I'm in the process of getting signed." She chirped happily. "How about you?"

"Oh I guess they scheduled a few meetings at the same place. I'm here with Lauren who's currently in a meeting with someone from the label as well."

"Sweet! Yeah, I've heard about the dance agency that Lauren is working for. I've been told that it's doing pretty well."

They were still stationed in the middle of the staircase going up to the VIP section. People kept squeezing around them in an irritated manner, but they didn't pay any mind to it.

"So you're visiting Lauren?" The brunette inquired curiously.

"More like living with Lauren" Amy countered with a chuckle.

"No way! I'm currently living here too!" Karma said with delight.

Before they could get any other words out, a tall man appeared next to Karma. Amy watched as he placed his arm around her familiarly. He whispered something in her ear and Karma smiled.

_Of course._

After the whole display, the man smiled and greeted Amy with a nod. He walked off to the VIP section.

"Hey, sorry but I gotta go" The brunette apologized.

"No worries, I'll see you around" Amy hurriedly answered. She was already starting to walk down the stairs despite her initial plan being to go see Lauren in VIP.

"Ames!" She heard the brunette call out.

The blonde turned to see Karma scribbling something on a piece of paper. She handed it to Amy with a shy smile.

"Here's my number"

Before Amy could say anything else, the brunette walked towards VIP.

Worn out for the night, Amy texted Lauren that she was heading home early. She spent the taxi ride staring at the piece of paper. The ball was in her court. She could either dispose of the number or reconnect with Karma after almost a decade.

As friends of course.

* * *

Lauren groaned exasperatedly as she threw a cushion at Amy.

"Just text her already! Gosh, you've been staring at your phone for most of the episode." She exclaimed.

The sisters had been lounging in the living room, watching _Game of Thrones_. But Amy had been distracted for most of the time.

"What should I say?"

"Oh I don't know. Whatever you feel like saying. Ames, I don't get it. Aren't you over her? How many years has it been?" Lauren inquired suspiciously.

"I am over her! Besides, she has a boyfriend. I saw him at the party" She retorted victoriously.

"That would only matter if you still liked her." Lauren quipped knowingly.

"You're soooo clearly over her" The shorter girl teased.

Amy merely ignored her and finally decided on a message. Something noncommittal.

Amy:_ Hey it's Amy. Save my number!_

Amy figured that the brunette would probably just save her number and forget about it. However, before Amy had even set her phone on the table, it buzzed with a message from Karma.

Karma:_ Let's catch up. Tomorrow? Lunch? Dinner? Coffee?_

Amy smiled to herself, happy that she wasn't going to be a random number stored in the brunette's phone.

**Amy:** _Sure. I'm working during the day. Dinner sounds good though._

**Karma**: _Perfect. I'll text you the details later tonight. Wear something nice ;)_

Amy blinked at her screen in confusion. _Why was there a wink at the end of the text? Was it a mistake? _After a few minutes of racking her brain for a plausible explanation, she figured that it couldn't possibly be real flirting. She settled that it was merely a friendly wink that Karma sent to all her friends.

Besides, Karma had a boyfriend. _Right?_

* * *

**Up Next: Dinner and then some (on a different occasion) **


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimers: I do not own Faking it.

**A/N**: Okay so slight miscalculation. The big chapter will be the next one. I'll try to update as soon as I can but I want to spend extra time on the next chapter. I've had a clear idea for a while now but I just want to do my best in terms of writing it. ALSO, THE FAKING IT TRAILER. I'M SO EXCITED!

* * *

"Hi, I have reservations under Ashcroft" Amy informed the bus boy at the entrance of the restaurant. She had heard about the Signature Lounge before and she was excited to finally dine at such a popular place. She took in her surroundings and she couldn't believe the view of the city from the Lounge. It was spectacular and she couldn't wait to explore such a beautiful city.

Amy followed the bus boy to her table and spotted Karma stand up from her chair. The brunette was wearing a gorgeous black dress that clung to her body perfectly. Amy involuntarily licked her lips at the sight. The blonde had opted for a red silk blouse tucked into a form-fitting black skirt. Before taking a seat, Amy caught Karma looking at her up and down, which made the blonde slightly blush.

"Hey" Karma grinned widely.

"Hey" The blonde replied with an equal smile.

"Wow, this is a really nice place" Amy stated as she looked around her. "The view is gorgeous" She continued.

"Yeah, I know. I figured that since you've just arrived, you needed to see this view. It's crazy isn't it?"

"It really is" Amy replied.

"But honestly Karma, it didn't have to be at such a nice place. We could have gone to a small diner and I would have been happy" Amy continued.

"No way. I wanted to properly welcome you to the city! Also, I have a confession" Karma said with a hint of guilt. "I actually just finalized everything with the label so I'm officially signed. And I don't know, I felt like celebrating it with you." She smiled shyly.

"Karma! Wow that's amazing! I'm so proud of you. You're going to be great I just know it" Amy exclaimed happily. She was so caught up in the excitement that she had automatically placed her hand over Karma's as a congratulatory gesture. As soon as they touched, Amy saw Karma's eyes move towards their hands. The blonde quickly removed it after feeling the electricity from just that one touch. She knew what it meant but she chose to ignore it because Karma was taken. There was no way that Amy would fall for Karma again given their history. Timing would never be on their side. One of them would always be unavailable. And in this case, Karma was once again dating someone. Amy figured that it was for the best.

The blonde plastered a smile and quickly continued on with the conversation.

Amy listened attentively as Karma explained what she had been doing for the last few years. As it turned out, Karma had left school right after Amy with the hopes of starting her music career. She had realized that music was her passion and that she wanted to focus all of her energy on it. She didn't want to get distracted by school so she had made the decision to leave. Amy was not surprised when she found out that Karma's parents had been really supportive of their daughter's decision; as parents should be. She had initially moved to New York until she had met her manager. He was the one who asked her to move to Chicago explaining that there was a record label that he thought would be a good fit for her. And she had been working on her music ever since. The process had taken longer than expected but she was happy that she finally got signed with a great record label.

Karma asked about Amy's whereabouts for the past couple of years and the blonde filled her in on the details.

All the while, Karma had noticed that the brunette was being very flirty with her. It confused Amy because she thought that the brunette had a boyfriend. Amy decided to steer the conversation towards Karma's love life. She knew that she was being somewhat intrusive in terms of conversation topics but she had to know.

"So how has it been in the love department?" Amy attempted to nonchalantly inquire.

"Oh I've had my fair share of assholes." Karma chuckled. "How about you?"

"I haven't really been dating in the last years. I've just been focusing on work." Amy blushed.

"No one? At all?" Karma said with surprise etched on her face. "But you're such a catch" She continued with bewilderment.

Amy blushed even more and chuckled.

"Wow I'm flattered that you think so. But no, just some lonely nights for me." She shrugged light-heartedly.

"Well are you seeing anyone right now?" The brunette asked. Obviously interested in what Amy was going to reply.

"Nope. Very much single"

"Good" Karma slowly smiled while she took a satisfied sip from her glass.

Amy smiled uneasily at Karma's odd reply but she was interrupted before she could say anything.

"Hi, I just wanted to let you ladies know that we'll be closing in 15 minutes" The waitress apologized.

"Wow it's 11 already. I didn't even notice" Karma frowned as she looked at her watch.

When they both stood up to leave, Karma walked over to Amy and helped her put her jacket on. Amy had to control a shiver when she felt Karma's breath behind her neck.

"There you go" Karma whispered in the blonde's ear before putting her own jacket on.

They looked around and realized that they were the only one's left. Karma insisted that she pay for Amy and the blonde patiently waited at the entrance.

They entered the elevator and stood next to each other despite all the free space in the lift. Once the elevator started going down, Amy turned to Karma.

"Thanks for dinner" Amy smiled appreciatively.

"It's no problem Ames" Karma returned the smile. Suddenly, the brunette lifted her hand to tuck a blonde strand behind Amy's ear. Amy couldn't hide the nervousness on her face. The proximity was almost suffocating. She realized that the brunette was leaning in. Amy wasn't able to think clearly because she was getting so caught up in the moment.

Their lips were seconds away from touching when Amy finally snapped out of it. She backed away quickly before looking at Karma.

"What is going on?" Amy frowned with confusion.

"I don't know what took over me" The brunette was embarrassed. "I guess that I just felt like kissing you. I thought we were having a good time," She admitted.

"Aren't you seeing someone? This is really wrong."

Before Karma could answer, the blonde continued. "It's fine. Let's just forget this happened" Amy gave her a fake smile.

The elevator door opened and Amy walked quickly out the building.

"Do you need a ride?" Karma called out as Amy was walking against the wind looking for a cab.

"It's fine, I'll cab it" She answered wearily. She hailed a cab and opened the door. She felt Karma touch her arm.

"Hey, Amy wait!" She begged. "I'm sorry that I took you by surprise with the kiss. I'm not seeing anyone and I just thought we could try it out now that we're both single." She confessed with a glint of hope in her eyes.

"Lady are you coming in or what?" She heard the driver call out.

"One second!" Amy said hastily. She turned back to Karma who was searching her face for a reaction.

"But I thought that you were with that guy that I saw at the club."

"Who Alex? He's my singing partner. I thought you knew!" Karma clarified.

"Oh" Amy replied, obviously embarrassed for jumping to conclusion.

"Yeah" Karma simply grinned.

The impatient driver who had been waiting for a few minutes once again interrupted them.

"I gotta go" The blonde apologized.

"Go. But text me when you get home." Karma smiled.

"I had a great time. Sorry for ruining it."

"You really didn't. Just so you know, I'm planning on asking you out on another date." Karma informed her before walking towards her car, leaving Amy speechless.

* * *

**Up Next: Second Date-ish**


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: SORRY I'M LATE!

* * *

It was New Year's Eve and Amy was on her way to the Peninsula hotel with Lauren. She had been texting Karma for the past few days and the brunette had invited them to a party that the record label was throwing to celebrate the New Year. Since Amy didn't have any plans, she had gladly accepted Karma's invitation.

"So what kind of party is this?" Lauren inquired from the passenger's seat.

* * *

"Karma said that the label rented out the Grand Ballroom at the hotel. Apparently friends and family are welcomed. So Karma invited us." Amy simply answered.

"Hope it doesn't suck" Lauren said as she distractedly picked at her nails.

Amy looked at herself in the rearview mirror and fixed a few wayward strands before exiting her car. She handed over her keys to the valet and thanked him. Both girls walked towards the entrance of the hotel. They were greeted by a very primp middle-aged woman at reception who directed them towards the party.

The ballroom was exquisitely decorated. The tables encircled the dance floor, where scattered groups of people seemed engaged in important conversations. There was also a DJ spinning tracks on an elevated stage close to the dance floor. Caterers roamed around the venue with silver platters of champagne and food. Amy spotted the open bar in one corner of the room. She could see the bartenders busily making drinks for the invitees thirstily awaiting their orders. The blonde made a mental note to spend some quality time over there. At the center of the floor, the chandelier was dimly lit with violet light seeping through. In fact, the entire ballroom was pleasantly dim with the complimentary purple all around. The wrap-around window also allowed guests to admire the city streets from above. The entire ambiance was enchanting and they had walked in mere seconds ago.

They were greeted by a few of Lauren's acquaintances while walking towards the open bar. They ordered their cocktails and were invited by a guest to join them at their table. The tables were not assigned but were at the guests' disposal. The layout vaguely reminded Amy of high school dances but with everyone wearing expensive suits and dresses. Lauren was in deep conversation with the people at the table when Amy decided to discreetly slip away to admire the view from one of the windows.

The blonde was sipping her cocktail while passively looking down at pedestrians rushing to their destinations. She felt a tiny poke and turned to see the gorgeous brunette.

"You made it" Karma stated with a grin.

"Before you" Amy teased.

"Yeah, the traffic was worse than I expected" She admitted sheepishly.

They spent some time by the window chatting about anything and everything until Lauren called for them to join her with others from the label. The next few hours consisted of their group taking sporadic sets of tequila shots washed down with deliciously crafted cocktails from the bar. Although both Karma and Amy participated in the group's attempt at getting wasted, they both paced themselves. Amy was surprised that Lauren was still going, given the size of the petite blonde. Amy cut herself off when she reached a good buzz from the alcohol and it seemed like Karma had done the same. As the night unfolded, the venue filled up at full capacity and everyone was getting increasingly rowdy. Intoxication had that effect.

Amy was enjoying herself but quickly noticed that Karma had slipped away. She looked around and couldn't find the brunette. As it turned out, according to Lauren, Karma had actually told Amy that she was heading out for fresh air but Amy had been momentarily distracted by someone's awful dancing.

Although the party was mainly indoors due to the freezing Chicago weather, the hotel's architecture gave their floor direct access to the first of two rooftops. Amy shivered as she stepped foot on the rooftop which was as exquisitely decorated as everything else in the hotel. Everyone was inside; sheltered from the cold. She walked towards Karma who was gazing below.

"You know that's bad for you right?" Amy half-teased as she made her presence known by the brunette.

Karma blew out the smoke before replying.

"I just smoke when I'm nervous" She confessed while keeping her gaze on the streets.

"Why are you nervous? We're celebrating the New Year" Amy questioned clueless.

"I just have a few things on my mind" The brunette replied elusively.

Amy could sense the brunette's nervousness. In an attempt to lighten the mood, she stole Karma's cigarette and placed it between her own lips mischievously.

Karma quickly moved to take the cigarette out of Amy's mouth and threw it on the snow-covered ground.

"No way are you smoking" Karma said. Her attention was on the ground while she repeatedly stomped on the damp cigarette. "You were in med school, you know it's super bad" She reprimanded as she distractedly stomped.

"Says the girl I took it from" Amy shot back.

Realizing the proximity of the blonde's voice, Karma slowly looked up from the ground and was greeted by Amy's teasing face inches away from her own.

Amy heard the brunette's breath hitch. Their current conversation instantly forgotten and replaced by familiar feelings. The blonde licked her lips but did not move. She stared at Karma's lips and just waited. As the brunette was slowly leaning in, they heard the door open.

"There you are! I was looking all over for you. Aren't you guys cold?" Lauren screamed drunkenly before leaving them alone again.

Amy was still staring at the door where Lauren had been just a few seconds ago. She suddenly felt Karma's hand slip into hers.

"Let's get out of here" The brunette simply said as she dragged Amy out of the venue with their jackets and into the elevators.

They stood across from each other. Karma was unabashedly staring at Amy and the blonde returned the gaze with as much fierceness. No words were exchanged but their eyes revealed everything.

They reached the lobby and exited the hotel quickly. Never letting go of Karma's hand, Amy let the brunette lead her as they crossed the cold streets of Chicago.

"Here we are" Karma finally spoke. They were in front of a small bar.

"A bar?" Amy asked confused and almost disappointed.

"More like a lounge" Karma smiled as she tugged the blonde's hand and guided her inside.

Once inside, Amy realized that it was so much nicer than she had expected. The entrance did not give away anything. The lounge was unique. There was a bar, a small dance floor, a makeshift stage and a few couches. It was modernly decorated with Chinese lanterns draped all around and a roof made of complete glass. Amy could see the lights of surrounding skyscrapers through the roof.

They went to the bar and Karma bought a few shots to start them off. Amy looked around and noticed that the crowd was probably as drunk as the people at the hotel. Everyone was dancing with drinks in their hands.

The blonde noticed Karma lean in to whisper something into the bartender's ear. And after a few moments the music was lowered and the bartender spoke into the mic.

"Hey guys, hope everyone's having a good time. We have a special treat for you guys. My friend Karma, just asked me if she could sing a song for someone in the audience." People started cheering drunkenly.

"So without further ado, please welcome to the stage Karma!"

Karma turned and winked at Amy before walking towards the small stage.

"Do we have a guitar?" Karma asked into the mic.

She was quickly handed one by a random person. She placed the strap on her shoulder and spoke again.

"Hey guys, sorry for interrupting your festivities but I just wanted to sing this thing I wrote. I actually wrote it when I was still in college and it's been in my back pocket ever since. Never performed it for anyone so bear with me" Karma said sheepishly. A few drunken people cheered again and raised their cups at her

Amy quickly picked up on the shakiness in her voice. It was obvious that Karma was nervous. The though had crossed her mind that the song could be about her but wouldn't it be moving too fast? But then again, everything was a long time coming.

The blonde held her breath as Karma began strumming her guitar so effortlessly. And when the brunette finally looked up from her guitar, she instantly laid eyes on Amy. The mood of the lounge had been cheerful due to the clientele's collective intoxication, but it was clear that Karma's state had shifted. She was no longer smiling, and Amy could sense Karma's emotional connection to this song. Her eyes radiated such intensity. It scared Amy to be subject to such passion in a person's eyes.

And then Karma started to sing.

(If I Could Change Your Mind by HAIM)

**_No, please don't cry_**

**_I've never done this before, drove a million miles_**

**_Back, when you were mine_**

**_I was too young to know that you were the one to find_**

**_But if I was to say I regret it  
would it mean a thing?  
Cause every time I think, think about it  
Memories take me back to all of the wildest times_**

**_If I could change your mind  
I would hit the ground running  
It took time to realize  
And I never saw it coming  
Forgive my lying eyes  
Gonna give you all or nothing  
If I could change your mind  
I could make you mine, make you mine_**

**_Now I won't go  
I won't run away this time  
But all I wanna know_**

Amy didn't move an inch. She was in a daze. She stayed in place mesmerized by this singing goddess before her but also overwhelmed. The brunette was baring her heart and soul in these lyrics. She looked so vulnerable on stage but her gaze never wavered from Amy.

And that's when she knew. Everything was falling into place. Timing finally clicked and it felt perfect.

**_Visions of our love pass right by me  
Your eyes are enough to remind me  
Visions of our love pass right by me  
Your eyes are enough to remind me  
Visions of our love remind me_**

As Karma played the final note of her guitar, the countdown to the New Year appeared on the screens around the lounge. The crowd cheered quickly before directing their attention to the countdown.

Ten seconds until the New Year and Karma hopped off the stage. She weaved through the crowd and approached Amy with determination.

Karma stopped right in front of Amy. They continued to stare at each other in silence, blissfully unaffected by their surroundings.

**_FIVE_**

**_FOUR_**

**_THREE _**

**_TWO_**

**_ONE._**

* * *

**Up Next: PART 2**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** I am so so so sorry that it took me this long to update. I've been slacking!

If you're curious to know what i've been doing instead of updating, you can follow me on

twitter/instagram touchedupfreak (shameless self promo!) Feel free to bug me through dms until i update the next chapter! Also send me funny instagram pics bc i like laughing

* * *

_How had it taken her this long to realize? She was meant to be with Amy._

**_FIVE_**

**FOUR**

**THREE**

**TWO**

**ONE**

(Playing Afterglow by Wilkinson)

Karma found herself in front of Amy as the DJ played a song to start off the New Year.

**_Even though the dancing's done_**

**_Don't worry 'cause the night is young_**

**_Who cares where we go_**

**_We're ready for the afterglow_**

Despite the glee and cheers all around, they weren't smiling. Karma knew why. This was it. She had thrown caution to the wind and sang that song for Amy. She felt nervous, and vulnerable, and worried. Karma could see the faint frown on Amy's face and she was trying to figure out what it meant. The blonde's thoughtful stare caused the singer to second-guess her actions.

However, Karma quickly regained her courage and took a deep breath before reaching for Amy's face. She carefully placed a hand along her jawline. She instantly felt the blonde's quickened pulse, which revealed Amy's state. She was nervous and possibly scared as well.

In an attempt to reassure her, the brunette used her thumb to gently stroke her cheek. She watched the anxious blonde lean into the touch while closing her eyes.

"Amy" Karma called out only loud enough for the blonde to hear. The longing in her voice was painfully obvious. "Can I kiss you?" She continued.

"It doesn't have to mean anything. But it's tradition" Karma quickly added as an attempt to offer the blonde freedom to choose where all of this was headed. But as soon as those words came out of her mouth, she knew that it was a lie. That kiss would mean everything.

She felt hands on her hips and lightly being tugged forward. She watched Amy bite her bottom lip and muster up a tiny smile. Karma's heart was pounding through her ears and she could already feel her blood rushing to her lips.

She finally felt Amy's lips on her own and her knees went weak. With one hand on Amy's cheek, Karma used her other one to tangle them in silky blonde hair. The moment was electrifying in the best way possible. The uncontrollable butterflies were making her lightheaded. Karma deepened the kiss for a few minutes before pulling away to stare into green eyes.

"woah" She breathed out.

"I know" Amy confirmed with swollen lips and a look of utter awe.

* * *

Short but at least the time is now somewhat synched with the real world :P HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! ALL THE BEST

UP NEXT IN A FEW CHAPTERS...** Reagan...**


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